Home Affairs Minister: Post-Disaster Infrastructure Recovery Making Progress

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Home Affairs Minister and head of the Task Force for the Acceleration of Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction in Sumatra, Tito Karnavian, said the recovery of infrastructure and essential services in three provinces affected by floods in late November 2025 continued to make progress.

According to an official statement from the Government Communications Agency (Bakom RI), received in Jakarta on Monday, Tito said that, in general, affected roads and bridges had returned to service.

The repairs were carried out through cooperation between the Ministry of Public Works, the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), the National Police (Polri) and other parties.

“On average, all bridges and roads are functional, except for a few local bridges. Everyone is pitching in on these, including the Public Works Ministry, the TNI and the police,” Tito said at the opening of a coordination meeting on accelerating post-disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction in Sumatra on Monday.

However, several local bridges still require further work, particularly as some were hit again by subsequent disasters.

He cited the example of government activity in Aceh Tamiang Regency, which had previously been disrupted by mud deposits but has now resumed. The regency was among the areas hardest hit by the disaster.

Tito also said mobile communications services had been restored, while most healthcare facilities had resumed operations. However, six auxiliary community health centres in North Sumatra still require further attention.

At the same meeting, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Sugiono said the rebuilding of affected schools and the provision of permanent and temporary housing were proceeding as planned.

Based on reports from regional leaders and developments on the ground, Sugiono said rehabilitation and reconstruction in flood-hit areas of Sumatra had reached 96–98 per cent of the target.

According to data from the task force as of 26 October 2026, the floods that occurred late last year affected 53 regencies and cities, 498 subdistricts and 4,533 villages and urban wards. All those displaced—previously more than two million people—have now returned to their homes or other accommodation, leaving no one living in tents.

Government steps up efforts to prevent further flooding

Despite progress in post-flood rehabilitation and reconstruction in Sumatra, Tito warned that affected areas remained at risk of further flooding as rainfall intensified towards the end of the year.

Further floods have already occurred in several areas, including Padang City, Solok Regency, Central Tapanuli Regency, Southeast Aceh Regency, Pidie Jaya Regency and Aceh Tamiang Regency. As a result, some roads and bridges that had previously been repaired have been damaged again.

Tito therefore called on the Ministry of Public Works to speed up work on rivers affected by sediment build-up to reduce the risk of further flooding. The measure is needed to prevent repeated infrastructure damage and enable rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts to proceed more effectively.

“When sediment levels are high and there is heavy rainfall, the water overflows and causes flooding. That means further disasters keep occurring, and we are working to address them,” he said.