Antara News·Indonesia·Monday, October 19, 2026 at 03:55 PM UTC

Indonesia restores 98 percent of disaster-hit worship sites in Sumatra

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Asep F, Tegar Nurfitra

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar reported that government assistance had enabled more than 98 percent of houses of worship affected by last year's disasters in three Sumatran provinces to continue serving their communities.

"We have helped over 98 percent of affected houses of worship to resume operations. Our assistance reached communities across faiths, including support for worship and educational site recovery," he said in Jakarta on Monday.

Umar said the government recognizes the importance of extending disaster recovery efforts beyond rebuilding physical infrastructure, highlighting initiatives designed to help survivors recover socially and psychologically from the loss of loved ones and property.

"People's lives must also get back on track," he remarked.

The minister also stressed the importance of faith-based approaches in helping survivors overcome post-disaster trauma.

In this regard, he encouraged religious leaders and organizations to contribute to recovery efforts by supporting affected communities.

He also highlighted ongoing recovery efforts in East Nusa Tenggara following the deadly earthquake that struck the province in August, noting that ministry employees had recently raised assistance for affected communities.

Meanwhile, Deputy Religious Affairs Minister Muhammad Syafi'i said the ministry was preparing to establish disaster mitigation task forces across its central and regional work units, including Offices of Religious Affairs (KUA).

"This way, we will not be caught off guard in the event of a disaster, as we will have been able to mount response efforts at the central, provincial, district, and municipal levels, including through KUA," he explained.

He added that the ministry had frequently mobilized its assets and personnel across various regions in response to disasters, citing contributions from regional offices, religious instructors, Islamic schools, and houses of worship.

However, Syafi'i stressed the need to establish reliable coordination mechanisms to ensure disaster response measures are more effective and better targeted.

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