Indonesia says more than $4 billion in recovery funds needed after Sumatra floods
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A drone view showing a devastated area following deadly flash flooding in Batang Toru, North Sumatra province, Indonesia, on Dec 7.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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JAKARTA - Indonesia’s Sumatra island will require 51.82 trillion rupiah (S$4 billion) in reconstruction and recovery funds following a series of deadly floods
The death toll from the cyclone-induced floods and landslides reached 950 as at Dec 8, with 274 people still missing, according to official data. The storms also killed about 200 people in southern Thailand and Malaysia.
Mr Suharyanto, head of Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency, said the recovery funds needed across the three provinces of Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra may still increase as the agency continues to calculate how much damage has been done.
Among the three provinces affected, Aceh needs the most funds, amounting to a total of 25.41 trillion rupiah, Mr Suharyanto said at a Cabinet meeting led by President Prabowo Subianto in Aceh province late on Dec 7.
North Sumatra will require 12.88 trillion rupiah and West Sumatra will require 13.52 trillion rupiah, he added.
The reconstruction process will soon begin in some areas in North Sumatra and West Sumatra, which have recovered relatively well, he said.
“So, areas that are already in better condition can start the reconstruction process. We will relocate people living in evacuation centres to temporary houses,” Mr Suharyanto said, without providing a timeline.
The temporary houses are 40 sq m plywood structures built by the government for people affected by natural disasters.
“In the next phase, they will be relocated into permanent houses, built by the housing ministry,” he added.
Responding to the initial estimated recovery cost, Mr Prabowo said his calculations were “similar”, without elaborating whether he will approve the spending or not.
“The point is we have the capacity and we will do it meticulously and do our best to manage it,” Mr Prabowo said.
Mr Prabowo also said conditions in some areas remained serious, with rice fields, dams and a large number of houses especially affected.
“The local leaders reported that there are quite a number of houses that we must help rebuild,” he said.
“In some places, there are still challenges,” he said, adding that the distribution of medication and clothing to the residents must also become a priority. REUTERS
