November 27, 2025 | 07:38 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian government has no immediate plan to declare a national disaster status for the ongoing floods and landslides affecting several regencies and cities across Sumatra.
Coordinating Minister for Human Empowerment and Cultural Affairs, Pratikno, stated that the current situation, impacting Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra, is still sufficiently addressed as a regional disaster.
"With the status of a regional disaster emergency," Pratikno said after a disaster response meeting at the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) office on Thursday, November 27, 2025. "So far, there are no issues because each region has declared this an emergency disaster condition."
Pratikno, the former state secretary minister, explained that the government determines disaster status in accordance with Law Number 24 of 2007 concerning Disaster Management. He believes the current regional status provides a sufficient legal basis to facilitate necessary handling actions in the affected areas.
These actions include the utilization of Ready-to-Use Funds, the deployment of aid, and infrastructure repairs.
He emphasized the need to ensure that the provision of aid does not encounter administrative or financial problems in the future, stressing the humanitarian urgency: "This is a humanitarian issue that we must resolve as soon as possible, as much as possible."
Call for National Status
The government's stance is in contrast to the request made by a Member of the House of Representatives (DPR), Nasir Djamil.
The Prosperous Justice Party politician urged President Prabowo Subianto to immediately declare a national disaster status, arguing that management efforts could be hindered otherwise.
"If it is not immediately declared a national disaster, I am worried that the number of victims will continue to increase. With humility, I request and urge President Prabowo Subianto to declare this status," said the legislator from Aceh, as reported by Antara on Thursday, November 27, 2025.
The extreme weather, which includes heavy rainfall, has caused widespread floods and landslides across the three provinces. Abdul Muhari, Head of the Data, Information, and Disaster Communication Center for BNPB, stated that the floods flowed strongly, hitting residents' houses and causing significant property damage.
"The water flow also carried materials such as mud, tree trunks, building debris, and household waste," Abdul noted in a written statement on Wednesday, November 26, 2025.
The disaster has not only cut off road access to several regencies and cities but has also severely disrupted electricity and communication networks in numerous affected areas.
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