Speaking at a meeting with The House of Representatives Commission V in Jakarta on Tuesday, he said the team effectively served as an extension of the ministry, ensuring that field data and the needs of transmigrant communities remained monitored despite limited access to affected areas.
“We regard the presence of the Patriot Expedition Team as a blessing in disguise. At a time when evacuation from disaster sites should have been prioritized, the team instead became an extension of the Ministry of Transmigration during the emergency response phase,” he said.
The deputy minister noted that of the three provinces affected by the disasters, transmigration areas directly impacted were located in only two provinces, namely Aceh and West Sumatra.
He cited the team’s role in data collection, recalling that prior to the disaster the ministry had planned to attend a Gayo coffee harvest festival in the Ketapang Nusantara transmigration area in Central Aceh.
However, extreme weather conditions in the days leading up to the event forced a shift in priorities, following reports from the Patriot Expedition Team about deteriorating conditions on the ground.
Several team members stationed in the area reported that their residential zones had been inundated by strong flood currents, severely restricting mobility.
In response to the reports, he said Minister for Transmigration M. Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara instructed all team members to remain alert, maintain their health, and prioritize personal safety.
Following intensive coordination with regional governments and the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), and after flight access to Aceh was reopened, officials from the Ministry of Transmigration traveled to Sumatra to directly assess conditions in affected transmigration areas in Bener Meriah and Central Aceh regencies.
The deputy minister said the flooding had cut off many road access points, leaving several areas isolated due to overflowing rivers.
He added that the government did not wait for land routes to reopen and immediately established aid channels, deploying health assistance in the form of medicines and vitamins from Jakarta for transmigrant residents in Bener Meriah.
The Ministry of Transmigration, he said, also coordinated with the Patriot Expedition Team, which at the time was assisting local governments in collecting data on the needs of flood-affected transmigrant communities and had successfully set up an information center.
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Translator: Ahmad, Azis Kurmala
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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