HUMAS USU – Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) received humanitarian assistance from Bank Tabungan Negara (BTN) for members of its academic community affected by flooding.

The handover was carried out directly on Monday (12/2/2025) at the USU Rectorate Office and was received by the university leadership as a form of empathy and concern for students, lecturers, and staff who became victims of the disaster.

The Rector of USU, Prof. Muryanto Amin, S.Sos., M.Si., represented by Vice Rector I Prof. Dr. Edy Ikhsan, S.H., M.A., stated that the assistance was very timely, considering that there were 878 affected individuals, consisting of 657 students as well as faculty members and administrative staff across 16 faculties.

He explained that the initial distribution would be carried out at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, which has approximately 65 affected students, and would later be extended to student residential areas such as Marelan.

“We are grateful for and appreciate the assistance from BTN, and Insya Allah, we will distribute it to those in need. Yesterday, we completed the data collection, covering administrative staff, students, and faculty members,” said Prof. Edy Ikhsan.

The Head of the Sumatra Regional Office of Bank BTN, Noor Ridlo, stated that BTN distributed 1,000 basic food packages and funds amounting to IDR 500 million as a form of commitment to supporting recovery efforts and strengthening cooperation with USU.

Furthermore, Noor Ridlo explained that this distribution reflects BTN’s commitment to continuously strengthening the well-established collaboration with USU.

He expressed hope that the assistance would help meet the basic needs of the victims over the coming days, while also demonstrating that the banking sector stands with the education sector and the wider community during emergency situations.

The Dean of the USU Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Dr. Hatta Ridho, S.Sos., M.S.P., expressed appreciation for BTN’s support and ensured that the assistance would be distributed accurately, including by directly visiting students who remain isolated.

This synergy between USU and BTN is expected to accelerate recovery efforts and further strengthen collaboration in the future.

For information, USU has currently been designated by the Ministry as a disaster response command post campus for the North Sumatra region and has implemented several humanitarian programs to assist disaster victims in various areas.