Prabowo: 'Foreign Forces' Spreading Lies About Sumatra Disaster
Reporter
December 16, 2025 | 11:37 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto suggested that foreign forces are attempting to sow discord regarding the Sumatra disaster situation, claiming they are spreading lies suggesting the government is absent in managing the disaster response.
"I frankly see that there may be parties, external forces that have never liked Indonesia, not happy when Indonesia is strong," he said at a full Cabinet meeting at the State Palace, Central Jakarta, Monday, December 15, 2025. "They highlight lies, untruths. They say that the Government is absent."
Prabowo emphasized that the government has deployed tens of thousands of personnel and equipment to aid in the disaster handling. He posited that these parties are worried precisely because the Indonesian government, the Military (TNI), and the Police are robust.
"The TNI is strong, the Police are strong, BNPB is strong, Basarnas is strong. We can deploy dozens of helicopters in a short time, tens of aircraft. There are places where fuel is delivered by aircraft every day, with Hercules. This can only be done by a strong country," he said.
Disaster Death Toll Rises
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) reported that the death toll from the Sumatra disaster reached 1,016 people as of Sunday, December 14, 2025. Abdul Muhari, Head of the Data Information and Disaster Center of BNPB, said this number increased from the previous data of 1,006 people recorded on Saturday, December 13, 2025.
The details show that the number of deaths in Aceh is 424, in North Sumatra is 349, and 243 in West Sumatra. Over the past week, the death toll has increased by 66 people.
"In the past week, the number of deaths found by joint teams has increased by 66 people. 33 in Aceh, 19 in North Sumatra, and 14 in West Sumatra," Muhari said.
Meanwhile, the number of missing persons stood at 212 as of Sunday, a decrease from 217 reported on Saturday, December 13, 2025. The number of missing persons has decreased by 58 people over the past week.
Muhari added that the number of people displaced at the disaster site is also decreasing. As of Sunday, December 14, 2025, there were 624,670 displaced people, a decrease compared to the data on Saturday, December 13, 2025, which was 654,542. Compared to the data from December 7 to 8, 2025, the number of displaced people has dropped by 356,297.
Read: Prabowo Rejects Foreign Aid in Sumatra, Says Indonesia Capable
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