Two Thousand Temporary Shelters Completed in Four Days, Progress Reaches 79 Per Cent

Construction of temporary shelters (huntara) for flood-affected communities across Sumatra has demonstrated rapid progress in recent weeks. According to the Task Force for Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (Satgas PRR) report dated 11 March 2026, from a total target of 18,697 units, 14,915 housing units have now been completed, reaching 79 per cent completion.

This represents significant acceleration from just three days earlier, when progress stood at 68.98 per cent on 8 March. Construction equipment moved at pace from Monday onwards, with completion jumping to 78 per cent by 10 March and increasing by a further percentage point the following day.

The physical completion rate on the ground has been substantial. Over four days, 2,018 new temporary housing units were successfully completed across Sumatra. On Monday, 9 March, the progress line began climbing with an addition of 556 units. The peak occurred overnight on 9-10 March, when 1,294 housing units were erected simultaneously, equivalent to an average of 53 units completed every hour. By Wednesday, 11 March, the pace moderated slightly but remained consistent with an additional 190 units, locking in the 79 per cent figure.

Aceh represents the heaviest burden for the Task Force. With distribution across 13 districts and municipalities, this province has an enormous target of 16,847 units. As of this report, progress in Aceh remained at 77 per cent.

A critical bottleneck exists in North Aceh. There, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) bears responsibility for constructing 4,441 units, yet only 2,680 have been completed. This contrasts sharply with East Aceh, which demonstrates high effectiveness. Of 2,437 planned units, 2,402 are already habitable.

This acceleration did not occur by chance. During a special coordination meeting regarding temporary shelters and evacuation relocation on 5 March, it was agreed that location determination and unit quantity requirements would be handled through a single channel—the BNPB. This policy became the key to simplifying bureaucracy. The Ministry of Public Works and Housing (PU) and the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning can now proceed directly with physical construction without becoming ensnared in lengthy land certification procedures. This synergy between planning and physical execution has significantly reduced implementation timelines.

Additionally, the military has strengthened this synergy. Indonesian Armed Forces land personnel, such as units from TNI AD 315 in Aceh Tamiang, have served as the technical implementers ensuring physical work remains on schedule.

Notably, amidst various disaster-affected regions’ dependence on central government budgets, 12 temporary housing units were constructed using Pidie Regency Government’s independent funding. Building costs for these homes utilised contingency expenditure funds (BTT) from the regional budget.

“Pidie financed it independently from contingency funds because the unit requirement was relatively small, so it could be handled independently without waiting for central government assistance,” said Abdul Muhari, Head of the Data, Information and Communication Centre for Disaster Management at BNPB.

These independently-built shelters were already inaugurated by Regent Sarjani Abdullah on 22 January. These housing units are expected to provide temporary safety and comfort during the recovery period. “Pidie Regency Government is committed to ensuring all affected residents receive appropriate and sustainable assistance,” said Sarjani.

Completion in West Sumatra

Whilst Aceh still grapples with volume, West Sumatra can breathe a sigh of relief. This region has achieved a perfect score—100 per cent completion. All targets across six districts and municipalities have been finished. Success in Minangkabau Land has been supported by cross-sector collaboration. Beyond government involvement, there has been active participation from the private sector and contractors including PT Trisco Jaya Utama, PT Nindya Karya, and CV Tiga Segi Utama.

North Sumatra follows with 95 per cent progress. Construction efforts are concentrated in three areas: North Tapanuli, Central Tapanuli, and South Tapanuli. North and Central Tapanuli have been completed entirely. Remaining work now rests solely on South Tapanuli, particularly the BNPB sector portion with approximately 51 units remaining from the total 385 planned.

This 79 per cent achievement sends a strong signal that the transition phase from emergency to permanent recovery in central Sumatra is on the right track. Task Force Leader Tito Karnavian emphasised the importance of accelerating temporary shelter construction and disbursing temporary housing funds (DTH) so affected communities can soon occupy more adequate dwellings.

“We hope to complete this as quickly as possible before Eid al-Fitr. Ideally, before Eid al-Fitr, everyone should not be in tents but in temporary shelters or receiving temporary housing funds,” said Tito.

This hope races against a genuine humanitarian burden. Thus far, relocation has begun showing results with 12,105 households (KK) having successfully moved into temporary shelters. However, this figure still leaves substantial work when examined by region.

In Aceh, although 10,430 households have relocated to new housing, the evacuation burden remains heaviest. An estimated 1,112 households or approximately 3,710 people remain in emergency tents, in addition to 5,580 households sheltering in government buildings or residents’ homes.

North Sumatra shows 845 households successfully relocated to temporary shelters. However, 154 households (465 people) still occupy emergency tents, whilst a further 52 households remain temporarily in public facilities.

The most progressive achievement appears in West Sumatra. This region has completed the entire relocation process. A total of 830 affected households have now 100 per cent moved into temporary shelters, simultaneously emptying all evacuation sites, whether in tents or government buildings.

For this reason, support from all sectors is vital in ensuring affected communities soon occupy safe and adequate housing. Coordination between ministries, agencies and regional governments remains the key to accelerating housing completion for affected communities.