When the rivers rose
When heavy rains wreaked havoc across three Indonesian provinces in late November 2025, the Indonesian Red Cross raced to reach hundreds of thousands of people — despite the mud, washed-out roads and complete lack of power and communications.
Long days of silence and isolation
It started with the rains. Across three provinces of Indonesia — Aceh, North Sumatera and West Sumatera, rivers spilled over their banks and slopes loosened, sending mud sliding into low-lying areas.
Tens of thousands of homes were hit along with schools and bridges. Roads became impassable, bridges were badly damaged. In total, 35 districts and cities reported widespread damage.
In the first days after the floods and landslides struck mid-November 2025, it was the silence that struck hardest.
None of the usual sounds of trucks, cars and motorcycles. Suddenly there were no vehicles on the road. Electricity was completely cut so the usual machines, radios and televisions fell silent. And to make matters worse, there was no cell phone signal.
Meanwhile, families were left to survive on whatever they had, or on whatever they could find in the wreckage.
According to data from Indonesia's National Agency for Disaster Countermeasures (and reported on IFRC’s GO platform), 1,030 people were killed in the flooding and 7,600 were injured as of 16 December 2025. Overall, roughly 3.3 million were affected, of which more than 102,000 were displaced.
In the midst of this cataclysmic scene, the Indonesian Red Cross (Palang Merah Indonesia – PMI), was among the first to respond.
Despite the challenging environment, and hundreds of personnel and volunteers living in the affected areas were deployed. Because of this, they were able to reach hundreds of thousands of people in a short period of time.
The IFRC also moved quickly to support PMI’s rapid response with a 1 million Swiss franc allocation from the IFRC’s Disaster Response Emergency Fund (IFRC-DREF).
Communities completely cut off
Landslides blocked nearly every routes to the affected areas. Some villages were completely unreachable in the first days.
This did not stop PMI teams from getting through. They deployed mini excavators to clear paths through the debris.
Because internet and electricity were both knocked out (for a total of 47 days), PMI deployed Starlink satellite units to restore communications and coordinate the response across the vast affected region.
Some villages became isolated islands, entirely cut off from neighbours, from services, from help. The response required extensive mapping and identifying alternative routes that didn't yet exist.
Local branches faced an operation far beyond their usual scope. And so, PMI mobilised trained volunteers and staff from neighbouring branches and ran on-the-job training to scale up quickly.
Exceeding targets, despite the challenges
Despite the many obstacles, PMI set up health posts, ran mobile clinics, and provided referrals for those who needed specialist care.
In the end, over 86,000 people received essential health services including guidance on clean and healthy living practices, hygiene, and disease prevention. This kind of knowledge was critical in an environment where the risks of illness were everywhere.
These communities were also battling diarrhea, acute respiratory infections, and leptospirosis in the aftermath of the floods.
But physical health was only part of the picture. Disasters leave invisible wounds.
PMI's Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) services set out to help 5,000 people but, in the end, helped over 52,000, more than ten times the original target.
Five days of non-stop emergency response
Within days of the disaster, volunteers were already moving to respond. They moves as fast as they could through the mud, across broken terrain, toward the people who were affected and needed help the most.
By end of Nov 2025 – approximately. six days after the disaster, around 300 personnel and volunteers were mobilised in the three affected provinces.
Even within the first six days (25-30 Nov 2026), Indonesian Red Cross teams provided a wide range of critical services to 100 villages across 19 districts
More than 94,000 litres of safe water were distributed to communities from government-approved water sources in those early days.
As of June 2026, PMI produced (via water treatment units) and delivered more than 24 million litres of clean water.
Deputy of the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs, Mr. Lilik Kurniawan visited PMI clean water production in Aceh Tamiang. The intervention was explained by PMI Aceh Tamiang WASH Coordinator, Mr. Muslim.
Deputy of the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs, Mr. Lilik Kurniawan visited PMI clean water production in Aceh Tamiang. The intervention was explained by PMI Aceh Tamiang WASH Coordinator, Mr. Muslim.
PMI Water distribution activities in Simpang Tiga Village of Manyak Payed Sub-district in Aceh Tamiang.
PMI Water distribution activities in Simpang Tiga Village of Manyak Payed Sub-district in Aceh Tamiang.
As the water source was so limited in Aceh Tamiang even up to now, PMI tanker trucks are being filled with clean water from other tanker trucks carrying clean water from outside the city to be distributed to survivors in Aceh Tamiang. There were 10 number of PMI water trucks deployed in Aceh Tamiang.
As the water source was so limited in Aceh Tamiang even up to now, PMI tanker trucks are being filled with clean water from other tanker trucks carrying clean water from outside the city to be distributed to survivors in Aceh Tamiang. There were 10 number of PMI water trucks deployed in Aceh Tamiang.
PMI Water distribution activities in Kebun Tanah Terban Village of Karang Baru Sub-district in Aceh Tamiang.
PMI Water distribution activities in Kebun Tanah Terban Village of Karang Baru Sub-district in Aceh Tamiang.
Clean water — the most essential element
The floods that brought such destruction also contaminated water supplies with muck and wastewater.
Wells were contaminated.
Pipes were broken.
Rivers that had provided drinking water for generations were now thick with mud and debris.
Access to clean, safe water was an urgent priority. Along with the funding from IFRC-DREF, the Indonesian Red Cross also launched a homegrown disaster fund, that quickly disbursed funds to all Red Cross branches that were responding urgently.
These added achievements reflect the dedication and unwavering commitment of Red Cross staff and volunteers on the ground.
- 38,000 people were reached through hygiene promotion, including post-flood clean-up activities (including well cleaning).
- PMI teams mobilised 65 water tanker trucks and pickup vehicles to the three priority provinces (including maintenance, fuel, water supply, and other operational costs). These vehicles had to navigate roads that were not yet cleared.
- 42 Water Treatment units (WTPs) were deployed to produce and distribute safe water.
- 31,000,000 litres of safe water were distributed through PMI water tanker services.
Community voicers helped steer the response
"Before PMI came, we had no choice but to boil the muddy water from the ditch just to cook," 40 years old Cut Hajar, from Tamiang, Aceh.
"My child got diarrhoea. I had hoped that the local water source would be restored again."
Cut Hajar's story is one of the 758 pieces of feedback that PMI received during the emergency response as part of its community engagement efforts.
This feedback was gathered through hotline numbers and a field data collection platform. These responses offered Red Cross teams a window into the lived reality of people who survived the disaster.
PMI's community feedback system also ensured that the voices of people like Cut Hajar directly shaped the response. There were 215 feedback submissions about water access alone, and this helped Red Cross teams prioritise where to go next.
Behind the response
As of January 2026, over 540 volunteers were mobilised as recovery efforts within the communities continued.
From the very first day, Red Cross volunteers were there at the side of affected communities.
Their work was possible because of strong coordination across the IFRC Network and its partners, including with government emergency service agencies and the private sector.
At the forefront, however, it was the volunteers who were at the forefront. Behind every gesture of help, every water truck and every health post, there were the volunteers, delivering support when it was needed most.
Credits
Information and photo by: Indonesian Red Cross
Words by Rachel Punitha
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