Jakarta, Dec. 17 -- Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) is preparing temporary housing for residents displaced by floods and landslides in North Sumatra Province, where tens of thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed, an official said on Wednesday.

The temporary shelters are critical for people whose homes suffered severe damage or were swept away, said Abdul Muhari, head of the disaster agency's data, information and disaster communication.

BNPB data show 28,708 houses were damaged across North Sumatra. Of those, 5,158 were severely damaged and 1,068 were destroyed or washed away by flooding.

Langkat District recorded the highest number of damaged homes at 11,273 units, followed by Central Tapanuli with 6,481 a...