Sumatra Flash Flood and Landslides

Description

At the end of November 2025, hydrometeorological events caused widespread flash floods and landslides, in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra, affected 50 regencies and cities. The disaster caused widespread destruction of homes, public facilities and infrastructure, disrupted livelihoods, and displaced hundreds of thousands of people. Official data indicate hundreds of fatalities, hundreds of people missing, and thousands of people injured, alongside damage to more than 157,000 houses and extensive losses to health facilities, schools, places of worship, bridges, and other essential infrastructure. The number of people who had to evacuate continued to increase in several regencies in Aceh, showing the magnitude of the scale and the urgency of humanitarian needs, while ongoing rainfall and damaged road networks continued to limit access to affected communities.

Conditions related to Water, Sanitation, and Hygien (WASH) are very critical, with contaminated water sources and inadequate sanitation in evacuation centers increasing the risk of disease and protection issues, especially for women, older persons, and persons with disabilities. Overcrowded evacuation centers, lack of privacy, and poor lighting have increased the risk of gender-based violence and psychosocial distress. Urgent needs include support for emergency shelter, hygiene kits, safe water storage facilities, as well as protection services coordinated through the relevant sub-clusters.

In response, Penabulu initiated emergency responses by mobilizing small-scale funds to support eight local organizations and disseminated its first Situation Report to humanitarian partners to seek additional support. Penabulu actively participates in coordination mechanisms at regency, provincial, and national levels, working closely with local and national humanitarian actors, including women-led organizations, to ensure a locally led, inclusive, and gender-responsive response.

Larger scale responses are also supported by international funding, one of which is utilized for an emergency response project focused on Aceh Tamiang and Aceh Singkil Regencies. WASH relief items, emergency shelter materials, and protection interventions are included in the intervention design based on prioritized needs.

Funding

This program is supported by the Catastrophe Fund – GHT-OI, program period December 15, 2025 – February 15, 2026, with total funding support of EUR 78,287.