Tito Urges Priority for Sumatra Permanent Housing Construction, Continues Infrastructure

Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) and Head of the Task Force for Accelerating Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (Kasatgas PRR), Muhammad Tito Karnavian, stated that the handling of post-disaster evacuees in Sumatra is being expedited through the construction of temporary housing (huntara) and plans for permanent housing (huntap). This was expressed by Tito following the Ministerial Level Coordination Meeting of the PRR Task Force Guiding Team for the post-disaster in Aceh, North Sumatra (Sumut), and West Sumatra (Sumbar). He reminded that the construction of huntap should be accelerated so that communities do not stay in huntara for too long. “Huntap is the most important priority, and then also things that are very urgent, such as bridges and roads, which are indeed the main routes,” Tito said at the Office of the Ministry of Coordinating for Human Development and Culture (Kemenko PMK), Jakarta, on Monday (6/4). According to him, West Sumatra (Sumbar) is the region recovering the fastest following the hydrometeorological disaster that struck in November 2025. He explained that there are several indicators of regional recovery affected by the disaster, covering government functions, road and bridge infrastructure, health and education services, community economic activities, and fulfilment of basic needs such as electricity, clean water, and communication networks. “We see that for West Sumatra, it is relatively the fastest, because out of 19 regencies/cities, 16 affected, 13 regencies/cities have government and society running relatively smoothly,” Tito said. In North Sumatra, most areas are also showing significant progress, with some regions still requiring special attention. Meanwhile, in Aceh, several areas have approached normal conditions, with some regions still needing intensive handling, such as Aceh Tamiang. Furthermore, Tito appreciated the synergy of various parties in efforts to restore Sumatra post-disaster. He exemplified the quick response to infrastructure handling by the Ministry of Public Works when there were disruptions to road access. Tito acknowledged that there is still much work to be completed, such as river normalisation, repair of agricultural land and ponds, and the construction of permanent infrastructure. The government estimates that the overall recovery process will take up to three years ahead. “This is very extensive and complex, so a master plan was made by Bappenas for 3 years,” Tito concluded.