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View all search resultsPrabowo spends New Year’s Eve with Sumatra disaster survivors
President Prabowo Subianto spent the final day of 2025 with hundreds of displaced people in South Tapanuli regency, North Sumatra, among the hundreds of thousands who welcomed the New Year at emergency shelters following the floods and landslides that devastated the island’s northern region.
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President Prabowo Subianto (center) addresses displaced people during a gathering on Dec. 31, 2025, at an evacuation center in Batu Hula village, South Tapanuli regency, North Sumatra, as North Sumatra Governor Bobby Nasution (right, front row) and South Tapanuli Regent Gus Irawan Pasaribu (second right, front row) look on. (Antara/Father Rochman)
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resident Prabowo Subianto spent the final day of 2025 with hundreds of displaced people in North Sumatra, among the hundreds of thousands who welcomed the New Year at emergency shelters following the catastrophic flooding and landslides that struck the island’s northern regions a little over a month ago.
On Wednesday, the President visited a temporary shelter in Batu Hula village, South Tapanuli regency, where he watched films, sang national songs and enjoyed traditional dances alongside evacuees as they awaited the arrival of 2026.
There was neither a fireworks show nor a large celebration at the shelter.
During the gathering on New Year’s Eve, Prabowo conveyed a message of encouragement and resilience to the shelter’s residents as they continued to endure the aftermath of the devastating disaster.
“We are facing a calamity and many challenges but we must stay strong, sincere and resilient in spirit. Most importantly, we must work together and face these hardships collectively,” the President said.
He praised the response efforts that had been ongoing since late November in North Sumatra, expressed optimism about the pace of recovery and reiterated the government’s commitment to rebuilding homes destroyed by the disaster.
“Across North Sumatra, most areas have already seen improvements. [...] From the dozens of villages affected initially, only around five remain cut off,” Prabowo noted.
