In Pictures

Indonesia’s Aceh families struggle as floods leave villages in ruins

Floods ravage villages, leaving thousands displaced in makeshift shelters with little aid.

People around Aceh Tamiang have been trying to salvage their possessions. Thousands of cars and motorbikes line the streets, most of them damaged beyond repair. [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]

Aceh Tamiang – At just 20 days old, Muhammad Hafidz has already endured extraordinary hardship. He and his family are among hundreds of thousands displaced by devastating floods in Aceh Tamiang, where local authorities report all 300,000 residents have been affected by the disaster.

Environmental groups attribute the severity to widespread deforestation, which has resulted in entire villages being washed away.

Muhammad was receiving care in the neonatal intensive care unit when floodwaters struck.

“We were trapped in the hospital because the water kept rising. We had to evacuate to the second floor. We were trapped there in the hospital, alongside several dead bodies in the same room,” his mother, Lia Minarti, said.

“After we left the hospital, we stayed in a makeshift shack. Three days ago, we received a tent.”

Aid distribution remains challenging across North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh province, with most displaced families sheltering under plastic sheets rather than proper tents from the national disaster agency.

For Lia, protecting her newborn’s fragile health has become a daily struggle.

“In the tent, it is extremely hot during the day. But if I take him outside, I’m scared of the dust. I don’t know what to do because my baby has had breathing problems from the beginning,” she said.

“I am worried about his health, but I have no choice. I wanted to bring my baby home, but I no longer have a home. Nothing is left. So, like it or not, we must stay because we have nowhere else to go.”

Lia’s tent is located on the ruins of her village, where 40 houses once stood. With stagnant water surrounding them, the spread of mosquito-borne diseases is a serious concern, for health authorities and parents alike. “I always hold him at night because I’m afraid of the mosquitoes,” she said. The family said they don’t have sufficient food, but they have no means to go anywhere else. — Lia’s tent is located on the ruins of her village, where 40 houses once stood. With stagnant water surrounding them, the spread of mosquito-borne disease is a serious concern for health authorities and parents alike. “I always hold him at night because I’m afraid of the mosquitoes,” she said. The family said they don’t have sufficient food, but they have no means to go anywhere else. [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]

Thousands of logs washed up, pushed into villages during the floods. Environmental groups say deforestation on the island of Sumatra has made communities more vulnerable to extremely severe natural disasters because the capacity of the ecosystem to absorb water has been undermined. [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]

Suyani has been staying in a makeshift tent on a bridge, assembled from plastic sheets, since her home was destroyed. Food aid has begun to arrive, but she hopes for more help. She has nothing to sleep on but cardboard, and all her possessions have been ruined. “I saw houses swept away right in front of my eyes. These past few days, around dusk, those memories come back. If assistance is possible, please put us somewhere proper, or at least clean this place. I’ve had a fever for two days already,” she said. [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]

Indonesia’s Disaster Mitigation Agency head, Suharyanto, said the affected provinces will require $3.11 billion in reconstruction and recovery funds, following the devastating floods and landslides. Among the affected provinces, Aceh requires the most funds. — Indonesia’s Disaster Mitigation Agency head, Suharyanto, said the affected provinces will require $3.11bn in reconstruction and recovery funds, following the devastating floods and landslides. Among the affected provinces, Aceh requires the most funds. [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]

The Governor of Aceh, Muzakir Manaf, stated that entire villages in Aceh Tamiang Regency now “exist only by name”, after being totally wiped out by floods. — The governor of Aceh, Muzakir Manaf, stated that entire villages in Aceh Tamiang regency now “exist only by name”, after being totally wiped out by floods. [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]

In Aceh, several regents wrote letters to Jakarta, noting they were overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster and did not have the resources to meet the needs of all the displaced persons. [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]

Although there are hundreds of people seeking shelter in the same location, there is no toilet nearby. NGOs, including Save the Children Indonesia, have noted the spread of illness among those seeking shelter, especially children. [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]

The floods and landslides mark the deadliest disaster in Indonesia since the 2018 earthquake and tsunami in Sulawesi. [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]

With no schools operating in Aceh Tamiang, children have nothing to do but wait around at shelters. [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]

Siti Fatimah said she was separated from her husband and her parents when floods hit her village. “The water was still high for some days, so I couldn’t look for them. Then, when I went to find them, people said they hadn’t seen them anywhere. My house is gone too, I have nothing left,” she said. — Siti Fatimah said she was separated from her husband and her parents when floods hit her village. “The water was still high for some days, so I couldn’t look for them. Then, when I went to find them, people said they hadn’t seen them anywhere. My house is gone, too. I have nothing left,” she said. [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]

Access to Aceh Tamiang had previously been cut off for several days, with roads damaged and blocked by debris. [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]

Aid, including food, medicine and water, have reached some but not all communities in need. In some parts of Aceh, including Bener Meriah, people continue to hike long distances just to secure food staples. [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]

More than 900,000 people have been displaced across three provinces. [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]

Aceh Tamiang Regency has a population of more than 300,000. Local authorities said every resident has been affected by the disaster in some way. — Aceh Tamiang regency has a population of more than 300,000. Local authorities said every resident has been affected by the disaster in some way. [Jessica Washington/Al Jazeera]