Eight Hours of Swift Action by Task Force Chief and Social Minister Restore Hope for 7,431 Disaster-Affected Families in Sumatra
Khairiyah, 57, sat among hundreds of other residents at the regent’s office in East Aceh on Monday afternoon, 16 March 2026, to receive social assistance for victims of the Sumatra floods. The widow with two dependent children lives in Idi Rayeuk District, an area previously hit by floods in 2020, though the recent disaster proved far more catastrophic, with water levels rising above window sills.
The floodwaters mixed with mud did not merely inundate homes but destroyed nearly all contents, rendering refrigerators non-functional, beds unusable, and other furnishings beyond salvage.
The Satgas PRR (Task Force for Acceleration of Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction) recorded alarming figures from the late-2025 Sumatra floods. Initially, 2,108,582 people were forced to evacuate as their homes were swept away by muddy floodwaters. The destruction included 302,222 damaged houses: 58,587 severely damaged, 66,834 moderately damaged, and 176,801 lightly damaged. The death toll reached 1,207.
Since the disaster struck, the government has maintained a continuous presence. The central government moved swiftly with emergency response, ensuring aid reached affected areas. President Prabowo Subianto made multiple field visits to inspect conditions in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.
The number of evacuees has decreased significantly, with only 812 household heads remaining in North Aceh and Aceh Tamiang as of 13 March 2025. The government has also distributed Rp 369.9 billion through house repair incentives.
As the situation transitioned towards recovery, President Prabowo Subianto established the Task Force for Acceleration of Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (Satgas PRR) through Presidential Decree Number 1 of 2026, appointing Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian to lead the task force with the goal of returning community life to normal.
The task force’s recovery efforts encompassed seven indicators: government administration, public services such as healthcare and education facilities, land access connectivity including national, provincial, district, and village roads as well as bridges, economic revival of markets and restaurants, social recovery including religious buildings, and supporting services such as fuel stations, electricity, water distribution, and internet networks, to be restored gradually.
The core of recovery lies in restoring community hope, reflected in ensuring basic needs and the revival of people’s economic activities. In this context, social assistance plays a crucial supporting role.
Through the Ministry of Social Affairs, assistance included death benefit payments of Rp 5 million per victim and Rp 5 million per severely injured person. Additional support comprised housing assistance of Rp 3 million per household, socio-economic stimulus assistance of Rp 5 million per family, and livelihood support of Rp 450,000 per person per month for three months.
Task Force Chief Tito Karnavian and his deputies, including the Chief of the TNI General Staff, the head of the National Disaster Management Agency, the commander of the Police Mobile Brigade Corps, and the head of the State Investment Management Agency for Natural Resources, conducted near-weekly field visits to monitor progress across ministries and agencies. This represented the state’s full commitment to ensuring communities did not walk alone in their recovery process.
On Monday, 16 March 2026, Tito Karnavian visited East Aceh District alongside Social Minister Saifullah Yusuf. That morning, despite the sky not yet being fully bright, the task force chief and social minister departed at 07.00 WIB aboard a TNI Air Force Boeing 737 from Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base in Jakarta.
East Aceh was selected as it was among the most severely affected districts. According to the East Aceh District Regional Disaster Management Agency, flood losses were estimated at Rp 5.39 trillion.
Residential damage included 6,717 severely damaged units, 4,671 moderately damaged units, and 7,040 lightly damaged units. Beyond homes, floods destroyed various infrastructure including bridges, roads, houses of worship, schools, meunasah (prayer houses), wharves, and other public service facilities.
This was no ordinary visit. During the holy month of Ramadan, despite heavy workloads and packed schedules, both officials flew in and out the same day to ensure social assistance for Sumatra flood victims was properly delivered. A journalist accompanied the operation.
After approximately two hours in the air, the Satgas PRR convoy first landed at Soewondo Air Base in Medan. From there, the convoy continued via two Caracal helicopters to Merdeka Field in East Aceh. This route was necessary due to difficult terrain and the remote location of the disaster area. The air journey took approximately one hour before arrival.
Upon arriving in East Aceh around 09.30 WIB, Tito and Gus Ipul were greeted by Aceh Deputy Governor Fadhlullah, Aceh Police Chief Marzuki Ali Basyah, and East Aceh Regent Iskandar Usman Al-Farlaky, alongside other government officials.