Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto marked the 2026 New Year by highlighting national solidarity and recovery efforts following devastating floods and landslides in Sumatra, choosing to spend New Year’s Eve with disaster survivors rather than holding the traditional celebrations.
The President visited evacuees and flood-affected communities in South Tapanuli, North Sumatra, on December 31. At a evacuation shelter in Batu Hula village, he addressed residents displaced by the late-November disasters, reassuring them of the government’s unwavering support and stating that leaders “will not leave you alone” during recovery.
During his visit, the President also inspected restoration work on critical infrastructure, including an emergency bridge over the Garoga River, and engaged directly with local families.
He emphasised that cabinet members were deployed across regions to monitor relief operations and ensure aid delivery.
Prabowo used his New Year message to call for increased environmental protection, urging Indonesians to safeguard the nation’s vast territory and rich natural resources to reduce future disaster risks.
In Jakarta, authorities cancelled fireworks and replaced them with a drone light show featuring messages of support for Sumatra, while fundraising efforts raised millions of IDR to assist disaster victims.
This approach reflected a broader national mood of unity and resilience as Indonesia entered 2026, focusing on reconstruction and community solidarity in the wake of one of the country’s most severe natural disaster events in recent years./.
