BENER MERIAH, ACEH —-— Dompet Dhuafa continues its response to the floods and landslides that have struck Sumatra through Ramadan 1447 H. This time, Dompet Dhuafa, together with its network of partner schools—such as TK Islam Fitrah Al Fikri, Sekolah Smart Cibinong, SIT Nurul Akbar, Panji Nusantara Islamic School, and SDIT Al Yasmin 2 Bogor—carried out a humanitarian mission to distribute Family Kits to survivors in Kampung Rusip, Syiah Utama Subdistrict, Bener Meriah Regency, Aceh.
The distribution of these Family Kits took place on Wednesday (01/28/2026) and involved a long and complex process. Distribution began with the preparation of logistics in the form of humanitarian aid, including Family Kits, at Dompet Dhuafa’s Disaster Management Center (DMC) in Takengon.
It takes about two hours to reach Bener Meriah from Takengon. Normally, this trip should only take about 45 minutes. However, due to numerous landslides and road blockages in challenging terrain, the journey was significantly delayed. Moreover, the road is winding, and debris from landslides and floods still litters the roadside.
Rusip Village itself became one of the isolated villages. During the first week after the disaster, the village was cut off from the outside world, leaving residents in desperate need of help. Ibrahim, a community leader in Rusip Village, recounted how the floods and landslides had destroyed the access roads leading to their village.
The heavy rain that had been pouring down on their village since the night before caused the river near Rusip Village to overflow. A loud rumbling sound accompanied the slow rise of the floodwaters.
“I woke up the villagers; it turned out some were already awake, so we men stood by on the road. We went back and forth, keeping watch. So, we asked the women not to move from their spots, so we could easily contact them if anything changed,” Ibrahim recounted.
The loud rumbling sound was also a sign that the water had carried large boulders and trees that had been swept away, rolling and destroying everything in their path, including bridges and roads.
“On the night of the 26th, the village was shaking like that, right? It wasn’t an earthquake, but because the water current down there had huge boulders, so the power went out everywhere, communication was cut off, and it was pitch black,” Ibrahim continued.
Ibrahim also assigned two people to check the bridge that night, Wednesday (November 26, 2025). However, the bridge remained sturdy and still standing. When morning came, Ibrahim explained that the atmosphere there was quite quiet; he said he couldn’t even hear the sound of crickets.
“I said, ‘I think the water level has already risen too high.’ As it turned out, when we checked the bridge that morning, it had already collapsed; the road was cut off, destroyed. The camp bridge was destroyed,” Ibrahim added.
While isolated, the survivors in Rusip Village racked their brains to figure out how to survive in those dire conditions; over the course of that month, their supplies of basic necessities had dwindled to almost nothing. With road access still cut off, the survivors decided to fetch aid by walking dozens of kilometers from the collapsed bridge.
“This village was cut off from road access for over a month. We had to walk all the way to retrieve the aid from the collapsed bridge—we carried it here on our backs,” Ibrahim continued.
Additionally, the survivors also walked dozens of kilometers along the Lhokseumawe road while carrying the aid, which was then distributed to the community the following morning.
Read also: Mocca Band School Kit Aid Reaches Children Affected by Floods in Aceh Tamiang
There was one thing Ibrahim was especially grateful for: no lives were lost in the incident. Although several homes were destroyed by the landslide, one of them belonged to Yunita, a mother of two, who watched as the walls of her house slowly began to crumble. The threat of danger loomed over Yunita and her family, with the floodwaters just five meters away.
However, with quick action and the help of the community, Yunita was able to move some essential belongings and temporarily leave her home. Yunita became one of the beneficiaries of the Family Kit distribution thanks to the collaboration between the school’s partners and Dompet Dhuafa.
“Eventually, when it rained heavily, we had to move our belongings—the neighbors helped us carry things like household items—and we temporarily moved in with my mom for a month and a half,” said Yunita.
While isolated, aid was delivered only by helicopter. The community and volunteers worked together to clear the debris left by the landslide and flood. Alhamdulillah, Yunita and the other survivors have received Family Kits containing mattresses, rugs, and blankets.
“Praise be to God, we’ve been able to get a comfortable mattress—it’s for the kids and for us at home, and we’re going to use it right away. Thank you to the donors who provided the mattress and blankets; we’ve never had a mattress before. Thank you so much, everyone. May it be of benefit to those who gave us the mattress, and may God bless them with abundant blessings,” said Yunita.
Collaboration between zakat institutions such as Dompet Dhuafa and educational institutions is considered key to accelerating Aceh’s recovery. Dompet Dhuafa also extends its appreciation to its charitable partners within the school network, who have helped alleviate the burden on disaster survivors in Aceh and strengthened solidarity and social compassion. (Dompet Dhuafa)
Text and photos: Anndini Dwi Putri
Editor: Ronna