PRR Task Force: Handling Post-disaster Sumatra Entering the Recovery Phase

JAKARTA - The Post-Disaster Acceleration Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (PRR) Task Force for Sumatra said that post-disaster handling of hydrometeorological disasters in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra has now entered the permanent recovery phase.

In this phase, the rehabilitation and reconstruction program (rehab-rekon) will be carried out gradually until 2028.

The Chairman of the Post-Disaster PRR Task Force for Sumatra, Muhammad Tito Karnavian, said that post-disaster handling was carried out through three main stages, namely emergency response, transition, and permanent recovery.

According to him, the emergency response phase which took place immediately after the disaster was successfully mitigated through joint work with the central and regional governments, as well as various related ministries and agencies.

"The first stage after a disaster is an emergency response. It is directly commanded by the President, all ministries/institutions are moving, all local governments are moving and it is mitigated quite well," said Tito as quoted by ANTARA.

Tito explained that since the PRR Task Force was formed on January 8, the acceleration of cross-sector coordination has continued to be carried out to monitor the transition phase. A number of basic services that had been disrupted are now mostly back in operation, ranging from local government, electricity supply, fuel distribution, internet services, to health facilities.

In terms of connectivity, all national roads have been reconnected, while national bridges have also returned to function, both through permanent construction and temporary solutions such as Bailey bridges, Armco, pioneer bridges, and suspension bridges.

"National bridges are also good, connected, even if they are temporary. Some use Bailey, pioneering bridges, Armco, and suspension bridges, but they are functional for mobility," he said.

Progress is also seen in the education and housing sectors of survivors. Of the approximately 4,922 schools affected, the majority have resumed learning in their respective schools after repairs were carried out, although a small number are still using tents, emergency classrooms, or are sharing with other schools, especially in areas that require relocation. On the other hand, the number of refugees living in tents continues to decline.

With this development, the government is now focusing on the permanent recovery phase based on the Master Plan (Renduk) for accelerating post-disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction. The document was compiled through the consolidation of the proposals of regional governments, ministries/institutions, and coordination with the Ministry of PPN/Bappenas and the PRR Task Force.

"Now we will go through the process of permanent recovery. From the three stages, emergency response, transition, then we enter the period leading to permanent, we call it rehab-rekon, and the key is Renduk," said Titomen explained.

The recovery plan is designed for the period 2026-2028 with a coverage of 11,512 cross-sector activities, ranging from the construction of river infrastructure, roads, bridges, schools, to permanent housing.

Tito emphasized that the main priority in the first year would be focused on basic infrastructure and accelerating the development of permanent housing so that people would not have to stay in temporary housing for too long.