Indonesia is pressing ahead with plans to restore parts of Sumatra devastated by a late November cyclone, pledging billions of dollars and a new coordinating body, even as experts warn that rebuilding in the same area risks a repeat of the disaster.
Flash floods and landslides that hit Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra on November 26 killed more than 1,050 people and left 192 missing, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).
The disaster displaced about 577,600 residents and destroyed more than 146,000 homes and public facilities, BNPB said on Wednesday.
Rescue operations are still under way but Jakarta is already planning how to restore the affected provinces, including by establishing a special agency to oversee the recovery.
“We have planned to form, whether an agency or task force, for rehabilitation and reconstruction [of Aceh and Sumatra],” President Prabowo Subianto said during a cabinet meeting on Monday.
The central government would start building 2,000 permanent houses for residents on Sunday, he said. They will be located on their original sites.
