Indonesia Mobilizes 15,000 Personnel as Sumatra Flood Recovery Enters Critical Phase

JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — IIndonesia is mounting one of its largest domestic disaster responses in recent years, mobilizing security forces and safeguarding regional budgets as Sumatra struggles to recover from floods and landslides that have left 15 regencies and cities in a fragile state.

In a series of high-level meetings in Aceh on Saturday, senior ministers warned that the government faces a narrow window to clear debris and restore essential services before the start of Ramadan in February. The operation underscores the early disaster-response test confronting President Prabowo Subianto’s administration.

The Minister of Home Affairs, Tito Karnavian, who is leading the Sumatra Disaster Recovery Task Force, has formally requested the deployment of 15,000 additional personnel from the national police (Polri) and the military (TNI).

The Home Affairs Ministry said the operation followed high level coordination meetings in Aceh that set a narrow recovery window amid peak rainy season conditions. The government framed the response as one of the largest domestic disaster mobilizations under President Prabowo Subianto.

Tito requested 5,000 police officers and 10,000 soldiers from Polri and TNI, significantly expanding the initial 1,000 personnel deployed during the year end holiday period. He said sanitation work, not security, formed the core mission, focusing on clearing mud from homes, alleys, markets, and river channels.

“We need to accelerate the mud clearance, especially in the alleys, homes, and shops,” Tito said, warning that delays into Ramadan would strain manpower and slow recovery. He added that the next few weeks were decisive for preventing secondary health and economic impacts.

The ministry identified 15 “yellow zone” districts requiring special attention based on indicator analysis and local government reports. Seven regencies in Aceh, five areas in North Sumatra including Sibolga and the Tapanuli region, and three districts in West Sumatra were prioritized, with Agam Regency assessed as the most severely affected.

Tito said bottom up reporting from mayors and regents would guide aid allocation to avoid misdirected resources. He stressed that some areas had begun self recovery while others remained overlooked despite critical needs.

Fiscal backing was strengthened after a direct intervention by President Prabowo ensured Aceh’s 2026 regional transfer budget remained intact. Finance officials confirmed around Rp 1.27 trillion, equal to $81 million, had already been disbursed in early January to support immediate recovery operations.

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin pushed for a digital donation dashboard to transparently coordinate the rebuilding of clinics and hospitals. The platform would allow donors and lawmakers to track facility level needs across community health centers.

The government said the high intensity, short duration strategy would test its ability to manage large scale civil military coordination amid rising climate related disasters. Officials acknowledged that the outcome in Sumatra could shape future disaster response models nationwide.