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

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.”