During an inspection of flood-response efforts in Central Tapanuli District, North Sumatra, on Monday, the President expressed gratitude that weather conditions had begun to improve.
However, he stressed that local administrations must always be ready to face increasingly unpredictable climate shifts.
“Government must fully function to protect the environment and anticipate future conditions. Perhaps all regions must be prepared to confront the impacts of climate change,” Prabowo said.
The President stated that the government’s current priority is delivering essential assistance, including fuel supplies and electricity.
He also commended the coordinated response among agencies—including the National Police (Polri), the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI), and the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB)—for their swift action in handling the emergency.
During the site visit, the President and his delegation inspected public kitchens and ensured that logistical needs were being distributed properly.
The President also visited medical posts and evacuation shelters currently housing residents from several flood-affected districts.
He was seen speaking with displaced residents about their families’ conditions and the state of their homes during the floods. Locals recounted to him how rising river waters had swept through their neighborhoods.
After concluding his inspection in Central Tapanuli, the President returned to Raja Sisingamangaraja XII Airport to depart for Kualanamu International Airport in Deli Serdang, North Sumatra.
From Kualanamu, he boarded a Super Puma helicopter to Alas Leuser Airport in Kutacane, Southeast Aceh, Aceh Province.
He then proceeded to the Pantai Dona Bridge to inspect a collapsed section, before continuing to an evacuation center in Bambel Baru Village to review conditions at the shelter for flood-affected residents.
The government has deployed 28 helicopters to disaster-hit areas in Aceh, West Sumatra, and North Sumatra.
In a statement released Sunday (Nov. 30) in Jakarta, the Cabinet Secretariat said the aircraft—drawn from the Air Force, Army, Navy, National Police, BNPB, and Basarnas—were being used to distribute aid and evacuate victims.
“Additionally, weather-modification efforts have been carried out over the past three days and have successfully reduced rainfall across the affected provinces, enabling faster air evacuations and delivery of logistical aid,” said Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya.
He added that all response efforts—from evacuations and aid distribution to access restoration—were progressing effectively and rapidly.
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Translator: Maria, Azis Kurmala
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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