Tens of Thousands of Cross-Institutional Volunteers Collaborate to Restore Sumatra

Tens of Thousands of Cross-Institutional Volunteers Collaborate to Restore Sumatra

• Special

Jakarta, VIVA – The post-disaster recovery in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra serves as a strong reflection of the national spirit of gotong royong. Tens of thousands of personnel from various ministries and agencies, TNI-Polri apparatus, local governments, and non-governmental humanitarian volunteers continue to work together in the field, ensuring that every stage of rehabilitation and reconstruction proceeds in tandem.

From the initial response phase, personnel deployment has been carried out on a massive scale through national mobilisation. Head of the Sumatra Post-Disaster Recovery Task Force Muhammad Tito Karnavian emphasised that cross-sectoral involvement is key to accelerating handling in the affected areas.

“The mobilisation from the start carried out by the government was a national mobilisation directly led by the President. The total at that time reached around 92,000 personnel from all ministries and agencies, not including non-governmental volunteers,” Tito said in Jakarta on Wednesday, 25 March 2026.

Entering the rehabilitation phase, the number of personnel has been adjusted to the increasingly controlled conditions. Data from the Task Force as of 31 March 2026 records 23,618 personnel from cross-ministries/agencies and civil service schools still on duty in the disaster-affected areas.

The involvement of cross-institutional volunteers is evident in various recovery sectors. The construction of temporary housing (huntara) is one clear example of such collaboration. In addition to being handled by the government through BNPB, the Ministry of Public Works, and support from TNI-Polri, the construction also involves various community organisations and philanthropic institutions such as Dompet Dhuafa, Rumah Zakat, and other humanitarian foundations.

As of 31 March 2026, progress on huntara construction has reached around 84 percent, with 16,360 huntara units completed in the three affected provinces. This achievement accelerates the relocation of survivors from tents to more decent housing.

This joint effort also drives the acceleration of infrastructure recovery. Access to national roads and national bridges is now fully open and functional, so logistics distribution is no longer hindered. On the other hand, temporary bridges built by TNI, Polri, and technical ministries serve as vital connections for areas that were previously isolated.

Meanwhile, mud cleaning, which is the main challenge in the affected areas, shows significant progress. Of the hundreds of affected points, most have been successfully cleaned, supporting the acceleration of community activities. The Ministry of Home Affairs has also deployed Praja from the Institute of Domestic Government Administration (IPDN) in three waves to assist with mud cleaning.