Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – The Indonesian government has confirmed it has not yet opened channels for other countries to provide financial assistance for handling the extensive disaster in Sumatra. Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi stated that the government retains the capability to manage the full scope of the disaster in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.
"We feel that the government is still able to overcome all the problems we face," Prasetyo said at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base in Jakarta on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.
Prasetyo noted that while many countries have expressed concern and offered assistance, the government is adequately resourced. He cited sufficient national stocks of food and fuel.
To cope with the logistical challenges, the government is utilizing "ways that may not be normal," Prasetyo explained. "We are trying to perform aerial dropping because it is tailored to the conditions of the disaster in the field."
Sufficient budget and resource commitment
Prasetyo claimed that the ready-to-use budget allocation in the State Budget (APBN) is sufficient to fund the current disaster management efforts, with Rp500 billion allocated for this year.
Furthermore, President Prabowo Subianto has instructed that these ready-to-use funds can be increased if necessary. "If the ready-to-use funds in nominal amount need to be increased, then they will be increased," Prasetyo affirmed.
The commitment to an additional budget also applies to Ministries and Agencies assisting in the disaster response, specifically citing the TNI (Indonesian National Armed Forces) and the Polri (Indonesian National Police).
Prasetyo emphasized that the TNI and Polri are on the frontline of the disaster management process, and the government is prepared to financially support their operations. "Of course, it requires financial resources, which we will back up," he concluded.
UN offers assistance amid devastation
Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres previously expressed deep sorrow over the floods and landslides that struck four Southeast Asian nations: Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Malaysia.
In a press release received by Tempo on Tuesday, December 2, Guterres' spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, stated, "The Secretary-General is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life caused by severe flooding and landslides across Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia."
Dujarric confirmed that the UN is in constant communication with authorities in all four countries and is ready to support aid and emergency response efforts, with UN teams in each country available to provide necessary assistance.
In Indonesia, the government had reduced the official death toll from 753 to 712 on Tuesday night, December 2, 2025, with approximately 500 people still missing. The national disaster management agency recorded 1.2 million residents evacuating across North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh.