Heavy rains in late November 2025 triggered severe floods and landslides across Aceh, North Sumatera and West Sumatera, leaving communities cut off by mud, damaged roads, broken bridges, blackouts and collapsed communications. The disaster affected 34 districts and cities, damaging homes, schools, bridges and essential infrastructure while isolating many villages from outside assistance.
According to data from Indonesia’s National Agency for Disaster Countermeasures reported through IFRC’s GO platform, 1,030 people had died and 7,600 were injured as of 16 December 2025. Around 3.3 million people were affected, including more than 102,000 who were displaced from their homes.
The Indonesian Red Cross, known as Palang Merah Indonesia, was among the first organisations to respond. Hundreds of staff and volunteers from affected and neighbouring areas were mobilised to reach isolated communities, provide emergency services and support families struggling to survive without clean water, electricity or communications.
Access to many affected areas was extremely difficult because landslides blocked roads and bridges were damaged. PMI deployed mini excavators to clear routes through debris and used Starlink satellite units to restore communications after internet and electricity were knocked out for several weeks. These efforts helped teams coordinate operations across a wide and heavily damaged region.
With support from the IFRC Disaster Response Emergency Fund, including an initial allocation of 1 million Swiss francs, PMI set up health posts, operated mobile clinics and provided referrals for people needing specialised care. More than 86,000 people received essential health services, including guidance on hygiene, disease prevention and clean living practices.
Mental health and psychosocial support also became a major part of the response. While PMI initially aimed to reach 5,000 people with psychosocial support, the service eventually reached more than 52,000 people, reflecting the deep emotional impact of the disaster on affected communities.
Clean water was one of the most urgent needs after floodwaters contaminated wells, damaged pipes and left rivers filled with mud and debris. In the first days of the response, Red Cross teams distributed more than 7.8 million litres of safe water to communities using government-approved sources.
By June 2026, PMI had produced and delivered more than 24 million litres of clean water through water treatment units and tanker services. The organisation deployed 65 water tanker trucks and pickup vehicles, 42 water treatment units and rehabilitated 10,000 metres of water pipes to restore access to safe water.
PMI also reached 80,000 people through hygiene promotion and post-flood clean-up activities, including well cleaning. Around 38,000 people participated in community awareness sessions on water, sanitation and hygiene, helping reduce the risk of diseases such as diarrhoea, acute respiratory infections and leptospirosis.
Community feedback played an important role in shaping the response. PMI received 758 pieces of feedback through hotline numbers and field data collection platforms, including 245 submissions related to water access. This information helped teams identify urgent needs and prioritise where to send support next.
By January 2026, more than 540 volunteers had been mobilised as recovery work continued. The response was made possible through coordination between PMI, IFRC, government emergency services, partner organisations and the private sector.
Throughout the emergency, Red Cross volunteers remained at the centre of the response, delivering clean water, health services, hygiene support and psychosocial care to people affected by one of Indonesia’s most devastating flood and landslide disasters.
