ACEH —— Dompet Dhuafa, together with its international humanitarian partner Hayat Yolu, moved quickly to respond to the flash floods that hit Bireuen Regency, Aceh. Since Thursday (4/12), the Dompet Dhuafa Disaster Management Center (DMC) team has been surveying the affected areas along the Krueng Peusangan River Basin, the area that experienced the worst flooding and suffered the most severe damage.
Conditions on the ground show that hundreds of residents’ homes are submerged in mud, public facilities are damaged, and thousands of residents have been forced to evacuate to safe locations. Seeing this situation, Dompet Dhuafa and Hayat Yolu moved to distribute basic food supplies to more than 1,000 survivors scattered across five evacuation points, namely: Blang Panjoe, Krueng Beukah, Pantee Lhong, Gampong Kapa, and Gampong Lueng Kuli.
The aid is expected to meet the needs of the evacuation centers’ communal kitchens so that survivors can continue to receive warm meals every day, despite the difficult conditions they face.
While visiting the evacuation point in Blang Panjoe, the Dompet Dhuafa team spoke with Effendi and Eva, a couple who lost almost all of their belongings. Their house was destroyed by the flood and buried under nearly two meters of mud. On the night of the incident, Effendi said that the water rose so quickly. Fortunately, he and his family managed to escape and survive on the roof of a neighbor’s house.
“We were sleeping. Alhamdulillah, we were able to get out and climb onto the roof of a neighbor’s house,” he said.
He survived on the roof of the neighbor’s house for hours until help finally arrived to rescue him.
Read also: Aid Post and Public Kitchen Set Up for Flood Survivors in Pidie, Aceh
A few days later, Effendi ventured back to see his house. His hopes of finding salvageable items were dashed when he saw firsthand how the house he had built with his own money and labor over the past two years was now in ruins.
“We built that house little by little. From the foundation, the walls. But everything was gone in an instant. I have never seen a flood this big in Blang Panjoe,” he added.
Mulya, representative of Dompet Dhuafa Aceh’s Disaster Management Division, revealed that the situation on the ground still requires a lot of support, especially for survivors who have lost their homes and are still living in emergency tents.
“Together with volunteers and partners such as Hayat Yolu, we continue to conduct assessments and distribute aid every day. Basic necessities such as food, clean water, sanitation supplies, and health services are the top priorities. We ensure that the refugees do not feel alone in facing this disaster,” said Mulya.
He also added that this humanitarian response does not stop after the first day of distribution. The Dompet Dhuafa DMC team will continue to reach out to refugee locations until the situation is fully restored.
The floods not only hit Aceh, but also other areas such as North Sumatra and West Sumatra. Dompet Dhuafa hopes that the humanitarian actions taken can strengthen and ease the burden of our brothers and sisters who are struggling.
Through the support of donors and collaboration with other humanitarian agencies, Dompet Dhuafa is committed to continuing to provide the best services for disaster survivors, helping to restore their lives, and restoring the hope that was lost due to the disaster.
May this effort serve as a bridge of kindness for all Indonesians to join hands in helping one another during the most difficult times. (Dompet Dhuafa)
Text and photos: Riza Muthohar
Editor: Dhika