LANGKAT, NORTH SUMATRA —-— The flood disaster that hit the Langkat Regency at the end of November 2025 still leaves thousands of residents in an emergency situation. On Saturday (11/29/2025), the Dompet Dhuafa Disaster Management Center (DMC) team successfully evacuated 90 residents who were trapped by the flood in the MAN 2 Tanjung Pura building. These survivors were previously unable to leave because all access to the school building had been flooded.
The water level, which reached the waist of an adult, made it impossible to carry out the rescue process in the usual way. The Dompet Dhuafa DMC team deployed rubber boats to navigate the widespread flooding and bring residents to safety. The evacuation process was also carried out with great care, prioritizing vulnerable groups, such as mothers, children, and the elderly who had difficulty moving in the floodwaters. After being successfully evacuated, they were placed in a location that was much safer and more stable from the threat of subsequent flooding.
Ibar, one of the DMC Dompet Dhuafa volunteers at the location, explained that the emergency response efforts did not stop at the evacuation process. The team also set up a Warm Post in the Tanjung Pura-Hinai border area, Tanjung Pura District. This post serves as a center for providing warm meals to flood survivors who are still staying in the surrounding area.
As of that day, Pos Hangat had distributed no less than 370 servings of ready-to-eat meals. This assistance was very meaningful for residents who were isolated and had lost access to basic necessities. According to Ibar, the Dompet Dhuafa DMC team also continued to reach areas that were still difficult to access due to high water levels. A total of 100 additional meals were distributed to areas still surrounded by flooding, including to residents who were still holding out and taking refuge in the MAN 1 Tanjung Pura building.
“In addition to Pos Hangat, we also distributed 100 portions of ready-to-eat meals to areas still surrounded by floods, including survivors who are still taking refuge in the MAN 1 Tanjung Pura building,” said Ibar.
Tanjung Pura is one of the areas worst affected by flooding in Langkat Regency. According to Kompas, the overflowing of the Batang Serangan River, which divides several subdistricts, was the main cause of the flooding that began on Tuesday (11/25/2025). Heavy rainfall in the upstream area caused the river to overflow and carry a large volume of water into residential areas.
The impact of the flooding not only paralyzed residents’ activities, but also cut off the main Medan-Aceh transportation route along the east coast. Vehicles, both those attempting to cross and those trying to evacuate to higher ground, were forced to queue for 2 kilometers in Cempa Village, Hinai District. The village became the last point before entering the severely flooded Tanjung Pura area.
In total, the floods that hit Langkat Regency have affected 15 subdistricts and caused 12,337 residents to be forced to leave their homes. Many of them are now taking shelter in subdistrict offices, mosques, churches, and command posts opened by various parties, including volunteers and humanitarian agencies.
Let us take a moment to send prayers for our brothers and sisters who are facing this difficult trial. At the same time, we can strengthen our spirit of solidarity and mutual cooperation by donating or supporting humanitarian actions through digital.dompetdhuafa.org/donasi/prayforsumatera. (Dompet Dhuafa)
Text and photos: Aryo Prasojo, DMC, Riza Muthohar
Editor: Dhika