The death toll from severe rain, flooding, and landslides on the Indonesian island of Sumatra has approached 1,000.
According to Reuters, EFE, and AFP on December 13 (local time), floods and landslides caused by recent heavy rainfall in three northern provinces of Sumatra have left 991 people dead and 222 missing as of the previous day.
The number of injured has reached 5,400 across 52 areas in the three provinces of Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.
In particular, in Aceh Province, which suffered the most severe damage, about 60 percent of the area remains without electricity, and temporary shelters crowded with displaced people are facing shortages of relief supplies such as drinking water and medicine.
As recovery efforts have been delayed, residents in the affected areas have voiced their frustration, saying they can no longer trust the government.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto visited Aceh Province again the previous day, apologized to residents in the hardest-hit areas for the delayed support, and promised that the government would continue to provide assistance.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto announced that a new economic support package for recovery efforts would be unveiled within a few days.
The National Disaster Management Agency explained that it would establish integrated shelters offering food, medical services, sanitation facilities, and psychological counseling.
The Indonesian government has estimated that the cost of restoring homes and public facilities across the three provinces will reach 3.1 billion dollars (approximately 4.56 trillion won).
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