Interior Minister Tito Karnavian confirmed five villages in Aceh and North Sumatra have disappeared due to flash floods and landslides. The villages will be removed from government administration, with residents relocated. Nearly all disaster refugees in Sumatra are no longer in tents.
Jakarta - Interior Minister Tito Karnavian stated that five villages in Aceh and North Sumatra (Sumut) have disappeared due to recent flash floods and landslides in Sumatra. The statement was made to reporters on Monday, March 23, 2026. No villages were lost in West Sumatra (Sumbar), according to him. The five villages are in two districts: Gayo Lues in Aceh and Tapsel in Sumut. Three villages in Aceh are Desa Pasir, Desa Remukut, and Desa Tinggi. The two in Sumut are Desa Garoga and Desa Tandihat. “Ini kan jumlahnya kan ada ada lima,” said Tito Karnavian. The lost villages will be removed from administrative status as they cannot be rebuilt, and residents will be relocated. Local governments (Pemda) will prepare land, while the Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PKP) will handle buildings. “Iya, yang desanya hilang ini sama sekali hilang ya, ya otomatis nanti kalau enggak bisa dibangunkan lagi dia dihilangkan status dalam status administrasinya. Orangnya akan direlokasi. Nah relokasi ini Pemda nyiapkan tanahnya, bangunannya akan disiapkan oleh Menteri PKP, seperti itu,” he said. Additionally, Tito Karnavian, also Head of the Task Force for Accelerating Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Post-Sumatra Disaster, noted that remaining refugees number about 47 households (KK) or 173 people, down sharply from 2.1 million. “Pengungsi ya mendekati 100 persen, mendekati kata-katanya, saya enggak bilang [sudah] 100 persen,” he said. Recovery of infrastructure like schools, rivers, and village roads continues.
