Indonesia’s catastrophic floods continued to worsen on Thursday, with the death toll rising to 990, while more than 220 people remain missing across the ravaged northwestern island of Sumatra. The scale of the disaster — one of the deadliest in recent years — has also left hundreds of thousands battling shortages of food, clean water, and medical supplies.
The country’s disaster mitigation agency confirmed the latest figures, as relentless tropical storms and monsoon rains pummelling Southeast and South Asia fuelled deadly landslides and flash floods from Sumatra to Sri Lanka. Forecasts warn that more rains are still expected.
In Aceh province, the region hardest hit and still haunted by memories of the 2004 tsunami, despair is growing among displaced families. Many residents say relief distribution has been slow, inconsistent, and inadequate.
“People don’t know who to rely on,” said Syahrul, a 39-year-old resident of Bireuen, where entire neighbourhoods were flattened. “People have lost hope… they can’t rely on the government at all, given how badly this has been handled.”
In Lhokseumawe, another devastated city, residents are still struggling to clear thick layers of mud that have encased their homes for nearly two weeks.
“Every day, all we’ve been able to do is clean the inside. The outside can’t be cleaned anymore because of the mud,” said Sariyulis, 36, who criticised what he described as minimal progress since the floods struck. “We keep hearing talk about how provinces can handle floods, but what we’re experiencing is the opposite.”
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Authorities acknowledge the challenges. Aceh Governor Muzakir Munaf said the ongoing emergency response must be extended for another two weeks to continue urgent rehabilitation and infrastructure repairs. He warned that health concerns are mounting.
“Our communities are experiencing skin diseases, coughs, itching, and other ailments caused by the flooding,” he told reporters.
Rebuilding costs could reach 51.82 trillion rupiah ($3.1 billion), but the Indonesian government has so far dismissed calls for international assistance despite the scale of devastation.
As the humanitarian crisis deepens, residents fear that without swift and organised intervention, the consequences of the disaster — both human and economic — could worsen dramatically in the weeks ahead.