Bireuen, Aceh. President Prabowo Subianto on Sunday ordered the immediate restoration of road access to Sumatra’s disaster-hit areas, saying the reopening of key land routes is essential to delivering humanitarian aid effectively after severe floods and landslides devastated three provinces.

Since November 25, the disaster has cut off interprovincial roads and bridges in Aceh, West Sumatra, and North Sumatra, leaving many communities inaccessible and slowing the delivery of food, fuel, medical services, and emergency logistics.

During a post-disaster coordination meeting in Aceh, Prabowo said reopening land routes must be the top focus of national and regional response efforts.

“We must ensure the roads are reopened as soon as possible. Once access is restored, the pace of assistance will be far more effective. Repairs to bridges and damaged road sections must be accelerated,” Prabowo told ministers and local officials.

Beyond transportation infrastructure, Prabowo highlighted widespread damage to irrigation channels and thousands of hectares of flooded rice fields. He directed the Agriculture Ministry and provincial governments to expedite assessments for recovery and replanting.

“All measures must be carried out quickly, in a targeted and accountable way. Our priority remains protecting lives and meeting essential needs,” he said.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) reported on Sunday that 921 people have died, 392 remain missing, and nearly one million residents across the three provinces still require basic logistical support.

Separately, Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo said prefabricated truss bridges -- commonly referred to as Bailey bridges -- are being installed in multiple locations in Aceh to provide temporary access.

“Restoring primary access in Aceh is our priority. Teams are working at full capacity, including installing Bailey bridges and clearing landslide debris,” Dody said in a statement from Jakarta.

According to ministry data, 30 interprovincial road sections have been severed and 15 major bridges collapsed due to the flooding.

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