JAKARTA - Indonesia’s Manpower Ministry is using labour-intensive public works to help flood-hit communities in North Sumatra, Aceh, and West Sumatra recover after the week-long disaster. 

Through its Kemnaker Peduli programme, the ministry is pairing cash-for-work schemes with follow-up support such as logistics aid, public kitchens, medical and psychosocial services, and small-scale skills training run through Vocational and Productivity Training Centre (BPVP).

"This is a recovery program. In addition to labor-intensive programs, the Ministry of Manpower's programs are also ongoing, including trauma healing, electricity installation, and other technical support in affected areas," said Sukro Muhab, the head of the program. 

Parts of Sumatra were hit by heavy rains and flooding in November 2025 after a rare Cyclone Senyar formed over the Strait of Malacca and slammed into the region, with North Sumatra, Aceh, and West Sumatra among the worst affected.

The disaster, which critics argue that it was worsened by the piling years of deforestation, killed over 1,100 people and left more than 140 missing, according to BNPB updates, while millions were forced from their homes. Official displacement figures were revised as assessments continued and BNPB reported about 195,542 displaced in its mid-January 2026 update.

Early government assessments put reconstruction and recovery needs for Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra at about 51.8 trillion rupiah, or approximately US$3.1 billion.

Jakarta has previously set aside 500,000 overseas job placements for residents of disaster-hit areas in Sumatra as part of President Prabowo Subianto’s Quick Win programme. 

Migrant Worker Protection Minister Mukhtarudin said the scheme will prioritise people who lost their jobs due to the Sumatra floods, with 300,000 slots coming from the SMK Go Global programme and 200,000 from the general placement pool, alongside pre-departure training and placement support.

The government also said that it will provide assistance to families of affected migrant workers, covering around over 2,100 households across the three provinces. Support will be coordinated with the Ministry of Social Affairs and includes Rp 5 million in cash aid per household.