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View all search resultsFlood-hit Sumatra faces hunger as Prabowo visits
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President Prabowo Subianto (center) inspects the operation of a public kitchen preparing food for flash flood survivors at an evacuation post in Pandan, Central Tapanuli, North Sumatra province, on December 1, 2025. (AFP/YT Haryono)
P
resident Prabowo Subianto visited flood- and landslide- hit areas in northern Sumatra on the sixth day after the disaster, promising to address urgent food and fuel shortages as thousands face dwindling supplies and the growing threat of hunger, while damaged roads continue to hamper relief efforts.
Prabowo departed from Jakarta’s Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base on Monday morning and flew directly to Central Tapanuli in North Sumatra, one of the worst hit-areas where pockets of affected communities remain isolated due to severed transportation routes and downed communication networks.
Speaking to reporters after inspecting several sites, Prabowo said the government’s immediate priority is delivering essential aid, particularly fuel, to cut-off areas.
“Several villages remain isolated, but God willing, we can reach them soon,” he said. “We have deployed numerous helicopters, Hercules aircraft and other assets, and with strong teamwork we can overcome this disaster and quickly ease people’s hardships.”
The President continued his visits to affected areas in Aceh and West Sumatra, meeting locals and reiterating his promise to expedite the restoration of severed transport routes and damaged homes.
Read also: Pressure mounts on govt to declare national emergency in Sumatra
Prabowo’s visit comes six days after Tropical Cyclone Senyar made landfall on Sumatra on Nov.25, unleashing intense rain and strong winds across Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra. Within two days, all three provinces declared two-week provincial-level emergencies.
