By: Wulan Primasari )*
Government efforts to address the impacts of flooding and landslides in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra continue to show increasingly tangible progress toward recovery. After passing through the emergency response phase, various assistance schemes prepared by the government have begun to meet the basic needs of affected communities, while also laying the initial foundation for the restoration of residents’ social and economic lives. The approach taken does not focus solely on short-term relief, but is also designed to ensure sustainable recovery until community conditions return to stability.
The government has prepared a range of social protection schemes for disaster survivors, ranging from the provision of temporary shelters to support toward permanent housing. Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf explained that affected residents will receive livelihood assistance during the early recovery period.
This social protection scheme is designed to ensure that the basic needs of the community remain fulfilled during the critical post-disaster period, while rehabilitation and reconstruction processes are underway. The government also recognizes that existing assistance standards still refer to older provisions, thereby opening space for evaluation so that the amount of assistance can be more relevant to current conditions.
In addition to livelihood assistance, the government has distributed additional aid to affected families to help meet basic household needs after they occupy temporary or permanent housing. This assistance includes essential household items needed to restart daily life.
The government considers essential household equipment important so that residents not only have a place to live, but can also carry out household activities in a decent and dignified manner. The value of this assistance may still be adjusted following cross-ministerial policy evaluations.
Economic recovery is also a major focus of the government. The Ministry of Social Affairs has prepared initial-stage economic empowerment assistance for affected families, with the aim of reviving residents’ productive activities. This support is expected to serve as an initial trigger for communities to return to work, conduct business, and earn income, thereby gradually reducing dependence on aid. This approach reflects the government’s effort not only to restore physical conditions after the disaster, but also to strengthen community economic resilience.
The government has also provided compensation to disaster victims as a form of state responsibility toward its citizens. This compensation is given to the heirs of those who lost their lives as well as to victims who suffered serious injuries. This step is seen as a manifestation of state concern that is present not only during emergencies, but also in providing social protection to families who have lost loved ones due to the disaster.
In the area of food security, the government, through the Ministry of Social Affairs, continues to operate public kitchens in affected areas. Dozens of public kitchen sites operate daily, serving hundreds of thousands of meal portions to the community. The continued operation of these public kitchens serves as a key support for residents who are still in shelters or are not yet fully able to meet their food needs independently. The government ensures that public kitchens continue to operate and even adjusts their capacity according to conditions on the ground.
The Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Pratikno, assessed that disaster management efforts in Sumatra have shown progress, although recovery levels vary across regions. These variations are influenced by the extent of damage and the accessibility of affected areas.
However, a number of areas that were previously isolated have now been reopened, allowing the distribution of logistics and basic services to gradually return to normal. The central government continues to deploy personnel from the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), the National Police (Polri), as well as heavy equipment from the Ministry of Public Works, in accordance with the President’s directives, to accelerate access reopening and infrastructure recovery.
In addition to reopening road access, the government is also gradually restoring electricity, fuel, and LPG supplies in affected areas. The restoration of these basic services is considered crucial, as they serve as the main support for community activities and public services. In the health sector, hospitals and health facilities have reportedly resumed operations, although some are still functioning at limited capacity. The government continues to ensure that health services remain accessible to those in need.
The role of the Indonesian Army (TNI AD) has become one of the key elements in infrastructure recovery, particularly for bridges damaged by the disaster. The Chief of Army Staff, General Maruli Simanjuntak, explained that the Army has been assigned to handle damaged bridges in various parts of Sumatra.
Several Bailey bridges have been prepared, and some have already been successfully installed and are now in use by the community. The construction of other bridges is still ongoing, despite challenges related to terrain, limited access, and logistics.
In addition to Bailey bridges, the Army is also handling plans to repair dozens of Aramco bridges, which require a more complex process. The government realizes that infrastructure recovery cannot be carried out instantly; however, the sustained work of personnel in the field demonstrates the state’s strong commitment to reconnecting affected regions.
Through these various measures, the government affirms that post-disaster management does not end with the emergency phase. Through social protection, economic recovery, infrastructure repair, and the restoration of basic services, the state is present to ensure that affected communities can gradually rise again. This comprehensive approach reflects the government’s commitment to restoring the lives of residents after the floods, while strengthening public trust that the state is working concretely in times of crisis.
*) The author is a Social and Humanitarian Observer – Forum for Social Justice of Independent Aceh.