Gibran Inspects Post-Disaster Housing in North Sumatra

RRI.CO.ID, Sibolga – Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming on Friday, September 4, 2026, visited several areas in the North Sumatran city of Sibolga, as well as the regencies of South Tapanuli and Central Tapanuli, affected by the deadly Cyclone Senyar disaster in late 2025. According to the country's Vice Presidential Secretariat, the visit was to ensure the recovery process is progressing optimally, while also allowing him to see firsthand the conditions and needs of communities during the post-disaster transition period.

As part of his working visit, Gibran inspected three permanent housing sites across three different cities and regencies. Those are the Aek Parombunan complex in Sibolga, the Hapesong Baru complex in South Tapanuli Regency, and the Pinangsori Hajj Dormitory complex in Central Tapanuli Regency.

"A home is not just about a building. We must ensure that residents can live safely, that basic facilities are functioning, that they have certainty about their place of residence, and that they can return to living their lives properly," the Vice President said.

In addition to distributing assistance to residents, Vice President Gibran’s inspection was also intended to assess firsthand the condition of the housing and the needs of communities that had moved into their new homes. The central and local governments need to continuously identify residents’ needs to ensure that the transition process proceeds smoothly.

Gibran emphasized that restoration of community activities must accompany housing construction. He said that housing should enable children to return to school, parents to return to work, and the local economy to resume functioning.

"Once homes and infrastructure have been built, our next task is to ensure that people can become productive again. Children can go to school, parents can work, and community economic activities can resume," Gibran stressed.

To support the continued recovery, Gibran called on the central and local governments to work together to address the various needs that continue to emerge during the transition period. Such collaboration is necessary to ensure that the locals' problems can be resolved promptly.

"The central and local governments will collaborate to find solutions," the Vice President concluded.

The Vice President’s Secretariat said the visit underscored Gibran’s commitment to ensuring that post-disaster recovery in North Sumatra continues optimally. Besides housing construction, the recovery effort focused on ensuring affected communities can regain access to basic services, resume their daily activities, and build productive lives in their new homes, enabling them to recover and rebuild as quickly as possible.