TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi stated that the remaining flooded wood logs in Sumatra will be used for the rehabilitation of disaster victims. The wood logs will be used to build temporary and permanent housing for the affected disaster victims.
He claimed that the government has regulated the utilization of the wood logs. Prasetyo said, "The wood logs will be used for rehabilitation purposes, including the construction of temporary and permanent housing," during the Sumatra disaster response press conference at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base, East Jakarta, on Friday, December 19, 2025.
The president's spokesperson mentioned that the Ministry of Forestry has issued a circular addressed to local governments a few days after the floods and landslides in the three provinces. He also urged the public who wish to utilize the wood logs to coordinate with the government.
"So, if the public wants to utilize it, it must be coordinated with the relevant authorities at every level," said Prasetyo.
The issue of using the flooded wood logs arose after a video and posts on social media showed residents cutting and processing the disaster-stricken wood logs for recovery purposes. The wood logs were used to rebuild the houses that were damaged by the floods and landslides.
The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) reported that the death toll from the disaster in Sumatra reached 1,068 people as of Friday, December 19, 2025, at 09:30 AM WIB (Western Indonesia Time). BNPB also reported that 147,236 houses suffered damage.
President Prabowo Subianto stated that the government will promptly build temporary and permanent housing for the disaster victims in Sumatra. He received a report from the Minister of Public Housing and Settlements (PKP), Maruarar Sirait, that 2,000 houses will be constructed starting on Sunday, December 21. "Possibly these houses can immediately become permanent homes," he said during the full cabinet meeting at the State Palace, Central Jakarta, on Monday, December 15, 2025.
He claimed that the government has allocated and prepared a budget for the construction of these houses. The budget was available due to the cost-cutting policy at the beginning of Prabowo's government. "We saved hundreds of trillions," he said.
Additionally, Prabowo plans to quickly establish a task force for disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction in Sumatra. He claimed that the disaster management situation is still under control. "We have mobilized for the response. This involves three provinces out of a total of 38 provinces, so the situation is under control. I am constantly monitoring it," he said.
Novali Panji Nugroho contributed to this report
Read: Govt Builds Temporary Refugee Housing in West Sumatra
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