The death toll from catastrophic flooding and landslides on the Indonesian island of Sumatra has surged past 900, with survivors facing desperate conditions and a growing blame being placed on widespread deforestation.
A Desperate Struggle for Aid in Aceh
Government data released on Saturday 06 December 2025 confirmed 908 fatalities and 410 individuals still missing across three provinces, including Aceh. The disaster was triggered by cyclone-induced deluges that also claimed around 200 lives in southern Thailand and Malaysia.
In the hard-hit Aceh Tamiang region on Sumatra's northeast coast, residents are enduring severe hardship. Many have been forced to trek for an hour over treacherous, debris-strewn terrain to reach volunteer-run aid centres, navigating past scattered logs and overturned vehicles.
Volunteers have been distributing clean clothing and providing fresh water from tanker trucks, offering a critical lifeline. The story of Dimas Firmansyah, a 14-year-old student, highlights the ordeal. He was trapped at his Islamic boarding school for about a week after access routes were severed, with students foraging for food and boiling floodwater to survive.
Political Response and Environmental Accusations
Local government officials on Sumatra have urgently called on Jakarta to declare a national emergency to unlock additional funds for rescue efforts. However, President Prabowo Subianto suggested earlier in the week that the situation was improving and current arrangements were adequate.
Simultaneously, environmental groups are attributing the amplified scale of the damage directly to widespread deforestation linked to mining and logging. They argue that the loss of forest cover reduced the land's ability to absorb heavy rainfall, leading to more severe flooding and landslides.
In a significant move, Indonesia's environment ministry has launched an investigation into companies suspected of clearing forests in the affected zones. The ministry has temporarily suspended the operations of these firms, mandating they undergo environmental audits.
Companies Under Scrutiny
Among the companies identified are North Sumatra Hydro Energy, which operates a China-funded 510-megawatt hydropower plant in North Sumatra's Batang Toru region, and Agincourt Resources, responsible for the Martabe Gold Mine in the same area. Aerial surveys have indicated land-clearing in Batang Toru that may have worsened the flooding's impact. Neither company provided an immediate response to requests for comment.
The disaster underscores a critical tension between economic development, environmental protection, and community safety in vulnerable regions. With infrastructure ruined and aid delayed, the focus remains on the monumental relief effort and the pressing questions about land management that have surfaced in its wake.
