Govt Completes 4,263 Temporary Shelters for Sumatra Disaster Victims

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Sumatra Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Task Force has announced the completion of 4,263 temporary housing units (huntara) as of early February 2026. This figure represents approximately 24 percent of the government’s ambitious master plan to construct 17,499 units across three disaster-stricken provinces.

Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian revealed that the progress varies significantly by region, largely dictated by the scale of devastation from recent floods, flash floods, and landslides. Aceh remains the most critical area, accounting for the vast majority of the housing needs.

"Aceh Province is the region with the greatest need for temporary shelters. Of the 15,934 planned units, 3,248 units had been completed by the end of January 2026, or around 20 percent," Tito stated in a briefing on Sunday, January 1, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

In contrast, North Sumatra has completed 539 of its 947 planned units (57 percent), while West Sumatra leads in percentage with 77 percent completion, delivering 476 of its 618 required units.

For families still waiting for their temporary shelters to be built, the government has deployed a financial safety net known as Dana Tunggu Hunian (DTH). 

This aid provides IDR 600,000 (approx. USD 35.77) per household per month for a three-month period to help displaced families manage their living costs during this transition.

The distribution of these funds closely mirrors the progress of the housing construction across the three provinces. West Sumatra currently has the highest distribution rate at 73 percent, with 1,472 of 2,004 eligible families receiving their aid.

In North Sumatra, 1,666 families have received support from the 6,565 households recorded as in need. Meanwhile, in Aceh, which faces the largest challenge, a total of 2,310 families have been reached out of 9,474 eligible recipients.

The acceleration of the huntara project is driven by cross-sector collaboration among the Indonesian Military (TNI), National Police (Polri), local administration, state-owned enterprises (SOEs), and philanthropic organizations. 

The government utilizes the State-Owned Banks Association (HIMBARA) to distribute funds, ensuring the process remains transparent and accountable.

“Sinergi ini menjadi kunci untuk memastikan pembangunan berjalan cepat, terkoordinasi, dan sesuai standar kelayakan hunian sementara,” Minister Tito emphasized. 

The ultimate goal is to move families out of emergency camps as quickly as possible, providing a stable foundation for the eventual transition to permanent, disaster-resilient housing. ***