Most road access has been restored, and only a few areas remain isolated,
Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto on Monday projected that the post-disaster recovery operations in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra provinces will be completed within three months.

Speaking during a plenary cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace Complex here, the president said he had apologised to the people, as the recovery in the provinces affected by devastating floods and landslides could take several months.

"Perhaps the regions will return to normalcy in 2 or 3 months," he said, adding that the government "did not have a Moses' rod" to complete the recovery in days.

The president emphasised that the government is working hard to restore normalcy in the three provinces.

“Most road access has been restored, and only a few areas remain isolated,” Prabowo said.

He noted that instructions had been issued to Housing and Settlements Minister Maruarar Sirait and Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo to develop 2,000 units of temporary and permanent housing.

The government has also deployed 1,000 units of heavy equipment, excavators, clean water tanks, portable toilets, and Bailey bridges.

“Another 50 Bailey bridges are currently under construction,” the president added.

Prabowo said the government has dispatched 60 helicopters and dozens of airplanes, which are flying daily to transport humanitarian aid to disaster-affected provinces.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) reported that as of December 15, the floods and landslides had killed 1,030 people, left 206 missing, and affected millions across 52 districts and cities in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.

Damage in the affected areas includes 1,600 public facilities, 219 health facilities, 967 educational facilities, 434 houses of worship, and 290 office buildings. In addition, 186,488 homes were damaged, comprising 146,910 severely damaged, 8,695 moderately damaged, and 30,883 lightly damaged.



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Translator: Maria CG/Fathur R, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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