President Revisit Aceh, Affirms Sumatra's Disaster as a National Priority

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – President Prabowo Subianto has once again reviewed the handling of flood and landslide disasters in Sumatra, which has been ongoing for two weeks. Although it has not been declared a national disaster, the President emphasized that the disasters in North Sumatra, Aceh, and West Sumatra are a national priority. Therefore, the President is directly involved to ensure that the handling and recovery of affected areas, particularly regarding land access and the distribution of aid, proceed swiftly.

President Prabowo departed from the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in Jakarta on Sunday (7/12/2025) at 07:55. Accompanied by State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, Foreign Minister Sugiono, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya, and Head of Government Communication Agency Angga Raka Prabowo, the President flew to Sultan Iskandar Muda International Airport in Aceh Besar Regency, Aceh.

According to the plan, the President will monitor several locations that have experienced damage and significant impacts due to flooding in Aceh. There, the President will also request the latest reports from local governments and related agencies, as well as oversee the distribution of aid, the evacuation process of residents, and the opening of access roads.

Since last week, the government has emphasized that although the disaster emergency status in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra has not been elevated from a regional disaster to a national disaster, disaster management in these three provinces remains a national priority. Therefore, the President has decided to visit the disaster sites for the second time to ensure that emergency response and recovery efforts in the affected areas are carried out swiftly.

Previously, on Monday (1/12/2025), the President also visited the disaster victims in Tapanuli Tengah, North Sumatra; Southeast Aceh, Aceh; and Padang Pariaman Regency, West Sumatra, all in one day.

The plan for this visit has also been discussed in a limited meeting between the President and several ministers and directors of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) at his residence in Hambalang, Bogor Regency, West Java, on Saturday (6/12/2025). Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, in a written statement following the meeting, explained that the President continues to monitor the situation in the three provinces while ensuring readiness to review disaster management once again.

In addition, Prasetyo stated that the President also requested the latest and detailed reports from several relevant ministries/agencies regarding disaster management, particularly in areas that are still isolated. Referring to the results of these reports, the President instructed that disaster management should prioritize the restoration of land access routes. The acceleration of logistics delivery also became a focus, especially the supply of fuel oil (BBM) that has been hindered due to the disruption of several main roads and bridges.

He continued, the restoration of the electricity network is also a point of focus. Therefore, the President requested the President Director of PT PLN, who was also present at the meeting, to promptly restore the electricity network in a short period. "Earlier, the President requested that within the next two days, it is hoped that all areas in the three provinces will have electricity restored," Prasetyo stated.

Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya added that, so far, PLN has also been continuously repairing substations and providing electricity supply to disaster-affected areas. Simultaneously, the Ministry of Public Works is also repairing roads for land transportation routes.

In addition, assistance for residents continues to be sent. One of the efforts includes the central government sending a 250 KWH generator to a hospital in Takengon, Central Aceh, using a helicopter from the National Disaster Management Agency. Takengon is one of the areas that remains isolated due to land access that has not yet fully recovered.

Previously, while attending the peak celebration of the 61st Anniversary of the Golkar Party in Jakarta, Friday (5/12/2025), the President stated that the disasters occurring in several regions are shared suffering and challenges. However, amidst the various calamities that have struck, Indonesia continues to demonstrate resilience as a great and strong nation. This is evident from its ability to endure, rise, and collectively overcome every trial faced.

"We prove that the people see the government's quick reaction, the government's response to address the issues. We have now demonstrated that the people see a disaster in parts of our homeland. However, the state's apparatus is promptly present," said Prabowo.

According to data from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), as of Saturday, the death toll from the disaster in Sumatra has reached 914 individuals, an increase of 47 from the data on Friday, which was 867 individuals. The breakdown is as follows: 359 in Aceh, 329 in North Sumatra, and 226 in West Sumatra.

The number of missing victims in three provinces remains at 389 individuals. This figure is dynamic. There are several victims who were previously reported missing, but in some locations, it has been stated that they have returned in safe condition.

Sales Area Manager of PT Pertamina Patra Niaga Aceh, Misbah Bukhori, in a press conference with the Head of the Center for Data and Information on Disasters of BNPB, Abdul Muhari, held in a hybrid format on Saturday, revealed that several areas, such as Bener Meriah, Aceh Tengah, and Gayo Luwes, remain isolated. This situation has hindered the optimal supply of fuel oil. Distribution is being carried out via air.

Meanwhile, the supply to other regions has increased compared to before. Areas that were previously isolated are now accessible. The supply of fuel to the north, such as Pidie Jaya, Langsa, East Aceh, and North Aceh, has returned to normal at 100 percent. Banda Aceh, as well as the western and southern regions of Aceh, have also returned to normal.