Dede Leni Mardianti, Jakarta – The Indonesian Ombudsman stated that communication issues were the main problem in the government's handling of the disaster that struck the island of Sumatra at the end of last November.
The Ombudsman found that there were numerous instances of miscommunication between government agencies, both at the local and central levels, in making various decisions to address the disaster.
Ombudsman member Yeka Hendra Fatima stated that one of the communication gaps occurred when the government mapped the emergency conditions of an affected area. This miscommunication led to slow disaster handling in the field.
Yeka mentioned that there was a lack of adequate information for residents regarding aid, access opening schedules, and recovery progress, resulting in uncertainty.
In one instance, in the Agam Regency, there were differing pieces of information within the local government. The Public Works Agency described the area as having limited isolated status, while the Regional Disaster Management Agency categorized the regency as fully isolated.
Ombudsman found that the latter categorization was more accurate due to vehicle access being cut off, requiring a nearly 10 km round trip on foot, or about five hours.
Additionally, the Ombudsman found that the government's mapping of the needs of affected areas did not align with the actual requirements. For example, in the Tanah Datar Regency, damage to the national route at Lembah Anai caused significant delays in the distribution of subsidized LPG, fertilizers, and essential goods.
In Padang, two main irrigation channels were also damaged, affecting a total of 4,358 hectares of rice fields, with 3,156 hectares at risk of crop failure due to interrupted water supply.
Yeka emphasized that the conditions in Tanah Data and Padang should have warranted these areas to be designated as vital infrastructure damage and placed in the emergency recovery priority, in accordance with Government Regulation No. 21 of 2008.
However, the local government had not declared such statuses, prompting recommendations for improvements from the Ombudsman, such as establishing consistent and verified disaster data and accelerating road access openings at critical points.
The Ombudsman continues to provide suggestions for the government, including reorganizing the logistics distribution system, strengthening inter-agency coordination and information flow, and ensuring consistent and scheduled information delivery to provide certainty for the public.
Efforts to address the meteorological disaster sweeping through Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra are ongoing, with the three regional leaders extending the disaster emergency period for about two more weeks.
As of the 17th day or Thursday, December 11, 2025, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) recorded nearly 990 flood victims in Sumatra, with the most fatalities in Aceh reaching 407, followed by 240 in West Sumatra, and 343 in North Sumatra.