Sumatra disaster recovery: Land provision urged for school relocation

The Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Acceleration Task Force (Satgas PRR) has called on local governments in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra to expedite the provision of land for relocating disaster-affected schools. According to the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, 97 schools were initially proposed for relocation. Of these, 34 are currently under construction through self-management or cooperation with the Indonesian Army, while three will be rebuilt in their original locations. The remaining 60 schools are in the land coordination phase.

Muhammad Tito Karnavian, head of Satgas PRR, emphasized that relocation is necessary for schools located in red zones or those that have lost their land. Local governments are encouraged to use Unforeseen Expenditure (BTT) funds or utilize assets from central/local governments, villages, or state-owned enterprises to secure these sites.

In Aceh Utara, the central government has allocated Rp328.456 billion in disaster aid, part of a larger Rp435.3 billion fund for Sumatra. This includes Rp305.7 billion for housing assistance for 101,900 families and Rp22.756 billion for living allowances for 16,857 affected individuals. The distribution of these funds will be managed through PT Pos Indonesia.