Hajj Payments for Sumatra Flood Victims Close to Target

January 8, 2026 | 01:05 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Mochamad Irfan Yusuf, stated that the data for the hajj expenses payment for the 2026 hajj candidates affected by the Sumatra disasters is approaching the target. It is claimed that more than 90 percent of Hajj candidates from West Sumatra and North Sumatra have arrived.

In Aceh Province, according to Irfan, the outcome of this year's Hajj payment exceeded his expectations. Despite being hit by flash floods and landslides, a total of 83 percent of the hajj candidates from Aceh have paid their expenses. "(The payment achievement) turns out to be the same as the national level," Irfan said at the Hajj Dormitory in Pondok Gede, East Jakarta, on Thursday, January 8, 2026.

However, Irfan stated that the ministry will still provide relaxation for the hajj candidates affected by the Sumatra disasters. He did not elaborate in detail on the extension of the hajj payment deadline. "We will continue to provide various relaxations, but as of today, we are still on track as we expected," he said.

At the national level, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah recorded that 95.72 percent of regular pilgrims paid their Hajj expenses. Meanwhile, the hajj expense payment for special hajj pilgrims has reached 96.5 percent.

The hajj expense payment for 2026 will be closed on January 9. "Insha Allah, we will be able to reach 100 percent in the next two days," said the Gerindra Party politician.

Irfan stated that the ministry has also taken mitigation steps to anticipate hajj candidates who cannot pay their expenses on time. He said that the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has the authority to increase the reserve by around 40 percent of the number of pilgrims who will depart for hajj. "So, Insha Allah, everything will be settled within the time frame that we have determined," he said.

On the other hand, Irfan stated that the health capability of the 2026 hajj candidates has exceeded the target. This also applies to the hajj candidates from the areas affected by the Sumatra disasters. "In Aceh, for example, the allocation is 5,600, but the number of candidates with health capability is actually more than that. So, it is safe," he said.

The 2026 hajj season is estimated to begin on April 18, 2026, coinciding with 1 Dzulqa'dah 1447 Hijriah. Nationally, the pilgrims who will depart through the special hajj route are set at 17,680 slots, or 8 percent of the total hajj quota of 221,000. The remaining 92 percent, amounting to 203,320 pilgrims, are regular hajj quotas divided among all regions in Indonesia.

Read: Danantara: Hajj Village in Thakher Set to House 22,000 Indonesian Pilgrims

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