Aceh Flood Displacement Surpasses 660,000 People

Banda Aceh, MINA — Five days after massive floods and landslides struck Aceh, the scale of the disaster continues to grow, raising serious concerns over the province’s ability to respond.

According to updated data from the Aceh Emergency Command Post for Hydrometeorological Disasters, as of Tuesday night, 3,310 out of 6,497 gampong (villages) across the province have been directly affected more than half of Aceh’s total villages.

During a coordination meeting at the main command center, Aceh Regional Secretary’s Assistant II, Zulkifli, stated that the situation has exceeded the disaster-handling capacity of many districts and municipalities.

As of 19:37 WIB, officials recorded 249 fatalities, while 227 people remain missing. Authorities warn that these numbers may continue to rise as rescue teams struggle to reach several isolated areas due to road closures and landslide debris blocking access.

A total of 1,435 people sustained minor injuries, and 403 others suffered serious injuries. Referral hospitals across the region are now facing shortages of treatment space, especially for patients with severe trauma.

Displacement Reaches 660,000 People

Conditions in evacuation centers have become increasingly dire. As of Tuesday night, 660,642 people, representing 157,321 households, have sought refuge in 828 evacuation sites.

Many shelters are overcrowded, with limited sanitation facilities and insufficient logistical support. Unstable weather has further impacted the health of evacuees, particularly children, the elderly, and other vulnerable groups.

Widespread Infrastructure Damage Disrupts Public Services

Preliminary assessments compiled by the command post show extensive damage to public facilities and community infrastructure, including:

77,049 damaged houses
302 road sections damaged or cut off
152 bridges affected, several of them impassable
138 government offices damaged
51 houses of worship impacted
201 schools and four Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) damaged

In the agricultural sector, the disaster poses a long-term threat to Aceh’s food production. Damage includes:

139,444 hectares of rice fields
12,012 hectares of plantations
182 livestock reported dead

Logistics Distribution Still Faces Delays

Despite continuous inflows of aid from government agencies and the public, distribution has yet to run efficiently. As of day five:

51,216 tons of logistics have been received
28,605 tons have been delivered to affected areas
22,711 tons remain in storage awaiting distribution

Zulkifli stressed that accelerating logistics delivery must become a top priority, particularly for isolated areas. Air transport options will be expanded in cooperation with the Air Force, which has already been placed on standby.

The Aceh government has set two immediate priorities:
(1) speeding up evacuations from areas that rescuers have not yet reached, and
(2) ensuring all evacuees receive basic assistance—including food, clean water, and emergency medical care—within the next 24 to 48 hours.

Search and rescue operations continue through a joint effort involving the military (TNI), police (Polri), Basarnas, volunteer organizations, and local residents. Inter-agency coordination is being strengthened to reach the most severely affected regions.[]

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)