CENTRAL SULAWESI — A severe flash flood struck the villages of Wombo and Wombo Kalonggo in Tanantovea District, Donggala Regency, Central Sulawesi, on Wednesday (May 28, 2025). The disaster, caused by heavy rainfall, not only damaged infrastructure and submerged residential areas but also claimed the lives of two residents who were swept away by the swift current.
The natural disaster caused significant damage to at least a dozen homes. The floodwaters, mixed with mud and heavy debris, also submerged public facilities such as schools and the main village road, disrupting daily activities.
Some areas were even covered in mud as deep as an adult’s thigh, preventing residents from returning to their homes in the near future. Many residents chose to evacuate to safer locations. Some are staying at mosque compounds and relatives’ homes, while others are still waiting for emergency tents provided by the disaster response team.
In response to the emergency, Dompet Dhuafa, through its Disaster Management Center (DMC), immediately dispatched a disaster response team consisting of volunteers and humanitarian personnel to the affected area. As part of initial post-disaster response efforts, the DMC established a community kitchen in Wombo Village on Sunday (June 1, 2025).
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Syatir, Field Coordinator of DMC Dompet Dhuafa, explained that this community kitchen was established as a solution to the urgent food needs of survivors who are unable to cook at home due to their homes still being filled with mud and dirty water. The DMC team provides lunch and dinner for 270 beneficiaries living around the community kitchen location.
This community kitchen service is also accompanied by the distribution of ready-to-eat meals to two affected villages, namely Wombo Village and Wombo Kalonggo Village. “We established a community kitchen to address the basic needs of the affected residents. In addition, the team also delivers food directly to residents who have taken refuge in the front yard of the mosque in Wombo Kalonggo Village. Meanwhile, in Wombo Village, we only managed to set up refugee tents last night.
Some residents are staying there, while others are temporarily staying with relatives,” explained Syatir.
Not only providing food, the DMC team also moved quickly to clean up the affected areas. Many houses were covered in thick mud due to the flash flood, so manpower and equipment were needed to clean the area.
“The mud covering the residents’ homes is quite deep, even reaching the height of an adult’s thigh. We are working together with the residents to clean up the area gradually. Some homes have already been cleaned, but most are still in the process,” he added.
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Based on the field assessment conducted by the DMC team, it was found that the needs of the survivors are not limited to food. The affected residents also urgently require other logistical assistance such as clean water, baby and toddler supplies, and hygiene kits to maintain cleanliness and health during their displacement.
To date, DMC Dompet Dhuafa continues to carry out humanitarian actions in the affected areas. Volunteer teams strive to be consistently present to ensure that the assistance provided is targeted and helps alleviate the burden on communities struggling to rebuild their lives after the floods. (Dompet Dhuafa)
Text and photos: ID Humanity, Riza Muthohar
Editor: Dhika