ACEH —-— Concern continues to flow for the survivors of the flash floods that hit Aceh. On Friday (12/5/2025), PARFI 56 Chair Marcella Zalianty and Dompet Dhuafa went directly to greet residents who were still staying at evacuation points.
Also present was Dompet Dhuafa’s Director of Resource Mobilization, Etika Setiawanti, along with her team, to strengthen the humanitarian response on the ground. One of the locations visited was the community kitchen in Gampong Beuringen, Meurah Dua District, Pidie Jaya Regency.
At the location, the community received a special surprise with the presence of Benu Buloe, the host of the Cerita Rasa KompasTV program who was born in Aceh. Benu, along with Marcella, Etika, and Dompet Dhuafa volunteers, cooked a typical Acehnese dish, Kuwah Beulangong, a traditional dish containing meat and bananas.
This special menu was cooked and distributed for dinner to more than 500 affected residents. Amidst the exhaustion of the ninth day after the disaster, the moment of cooking together provided a little laughter and warmth. The public kitchen volunteers worked enthusiastically in coordination, while the residents looked excited to be able to cook together with public figures whom they had only seen on television.
“I am very happy to be back in my homeland and bring a little happiness to my brothers and sisters here,” said Benu to the residents who welcomed him warmly.
Read also: Dompet Dhuafa and Tokopedia Distribute Aid to Flood Survivors in Lubuk Minturun
During the community kitchen activity, Marcella Zalianty also took a tour to see firsthand the condition of the affected residents’ settlements. Accompanied by Etika Setiawanti and volunteers from Dompet Dhuafa’s Disaster Management Center (DMC), she distributed hygiene kits to help residents maintain personal hygiene.
“The conditions after the flood are certainly not ideal. However, maintaining personal hygiene is very important to prevent disease and add to the burden on survivors,” she said while handing over the aid packages.
Etika Setiawanti explained that since the first day of the flood, the DMC Dompet Dhuafa team had been on site to conduct rapid assessments, assist in the evacuation of residents, and map the urgent needs of survivors.
“From day one, we immediately went down to provide an initial response. In addition to evacuations, we have distributed food packages to evacuation centers, set up public kitchens, distributed hygiene kits, provided health services, and even Psychological First Aid services for child survivors,” she explained.
Marcella then interacted extensively with residents who were cleaning their homes of the thick mud that remained. One of the most touching moments was when she met a mother carrying her sick child. The flash flood had washed away the family’s home and all their belongings, while the nine-year-old child needed daily milk, which was not cheap.
Seeing this situation, Marcella gave her full support to the mother to stay strong during the recovery period. On the same day, Dompet Dhuafa’s Free Health Service (LKC) also provided medical examinations, treatment, and health assistance to residents in need.
Read also: Dompet Dhuafa Sends 60 Tons of Humanitarian Aid to Disaster Survivors in Sumatra
Menutup rangkaian kunjungannya, Marcella Zalianty menyampaikan ajakan kepada seluruh masyarakat Indonesia untuk memperkuat solidaritas bagi penyintas banjir di Aceh, Sumatra Utara, dan Sumatra Barat.
“Masih banyak kisah-kisah pilu dari para korban yang membutuhkan uluran tangan kita bersama. Mari kita bantu mereka bangkit kembali,” pesannya.
Dompet Dhuafa terus melanjutkan respons kebencanaan melalui dapur umum, distribusi bantuan, layanan kesehatan, dan dukungan psikososial. Masyarakat dapat ikut memperkuat gerakan kebaikan ini dengan berdonasi melalui digital.dompetdhuafa.org/donasi/prayforsumatera. (Dompet Dhuafa)
Teks dan foto: Riza Muthohar
Penyunting: Dhika