Disaster Recovery Task Force Completes 81 Per Cent of Temporary Housing Target in Sumatra

The Acceleration of Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (PRR) Task Force for Post-Disaster Sumatra continues to accelerate the construction of temporary housing (huntara). This aims to reduce the number of evacuees still living in tents due to flooding and landslides in Aceh Province, North Sumatra (Sumut), and West Sumatra (Sumbar).

Previously, during a visit to disaster-affected areas in Gayo Lues, Aceh, the Head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), Lieutenant General Suharyanto, stated that the government will continue to accelerate huntara construction to ensure all disaster survivors are in adequate housing when celebrating Eid al-Fitr 1447 H/2026 M.

On that occasion, Suharyanto explained that families newly occupying huntara will receive assistance with staple goods and non-food necessities to meet their needs for 10 days. This assistance is provided to help meet residents’ basic needs before they receive livelihood guarantees from the central government.

“Families occupying huntara will be given assistance by BNPB consisting of equipment and food for 10 days from when they enter the huntara,” Suharyanto said in a written statement on Thursday (12 March 2026).

According to the PRR Task Force daily report as of 12 March, the number of completed huntara units across the three affected provinces has increased to 15,346 units out of a total 18,781 units to be built, reaching 81 per cent. This represents an increase of approximately 3 per cent compared with the achievement two days earlier, which totalled 14,725 units.

The breakdown of the increase in huntara units includes: in Aceh, 13,547 units have been completed out of a total 16,931 units to be built, achieving 80 per cent progress. Meanwhile, in Sumut, 969 units have been completed out of a total 1,020 units to be built, achieving 95 per cent progress. In Sumbar, all 830 units to be built have been completed, achieving 100 per cent progress.

Additionally, the PRR Task Force also reported the latest developments in permanent housing (huntap) construction. Data from the Post-Disaster Sumatra Task Force as of 12 March recorded 1,463 units currently under construction out of a total 36,669 units to be built. To date, 56 units have been completed. This number has increased compared with two days earlier, which reported only six huntap units completed.

The achievement of increased percentages in huntara and huntap construction represents the government’s strategy to reduce the number of evacuees living in tents, which was reported at 1,384 households (KK) or equivalent to 4,522 people as of 11 March.

In addition to accelerating huntara and huntap construction to reduce tent-dwelling evacuees, the PRR Task Force is also disbursing Housing Waiting Funds (DTH) to disaster survivors who choose not to live in huntara. The DTH assistance provided is Rp600,000 per month for a three-month period, so each household receives a total of Rp1.8 million.

To date, all DTH recipient accounts have received fund transfers with a disbursement rate of 100 per cent for 12,767 recipients across the three provinces. The breakdown is: in Aceh, 6,846 recipients; in Sumut, 4,162 recipients; and in Sumbar, 1,759 recipients.