Calls for a National Disaster Declaration in Sumatra Are Growing Stronger from Aceh

The polemic regarding the status of the hydrometeorological disaster affecting Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra continues to escalate. Various groups in Aceh are once again urging the central government to declare the natural disaster in Sumatra as a national disaster. The provincial government is deemed incapable of managing the significant and widespread impacts of the disaster.

The pressure arises, among others, from the Aceh Disaster Care Civil Society Coalition. They state that the natural disasters in Sumatra have resulted in a significant number of casualties and extraordinary damage.

Based on data from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) as of Saturday (29/11/2025) evening, the disaster that occurred from November 26 to 28, 2025, resulted in 303 fatalities, 279 missing persons, and 18 injured individuals.

The details are as follows: 47 individuals have died, 51 are missing, and eight are injured in Aceh. A total of 166 individuals have died and 143 are missing in North Sumatra. Meanwhile, there are 90 fatalities, 85 missing persons, and 10 injuries in West Sumatra.

Not only did the disaster result in loss of life, but it also caused tens of thousands of homes and public facilities to sustain light to severe damage. Transportation and telecommunications access were paralyzed. Numerous roads and bridges connecting national or interprovincial routes were devastated.

Until now, thousands of residents are reported to still be isolated due to the disruption of access to and from their area. They have begun to complain about the scarcity of essential goods, ranging from food, clean water, to medical services or medications. Residents are not only starting to suffer from hunger but are also beginning to complain of illness.

Conversely, residents outside the disaster-affected areas, including migrants, are anxiously concerned about the condition of their relatives in the affected locations.

Due to the telecommunications network not yet being restored, they have been unable to contact their family members in the affected areas. They continue to be haunted by a sense of anxiety as they have not received any confirmation regarding the news of their families.

According to the Coordinator of the Aceh Civil Society Disaster Care Coalition, Alfian, with low fiscal or financial conditions, each provincial government will not be able to handle the complexities of the impacts of disasters in Sumatra.

The facts indicate that they are unable to mobilize human resources and logistical assistance quickly and sustainably, both for search and rescue (SAR) operations and for meeting basic needs.

In fact, in several regencies/cities in Aceh, the local government has officially stated that it is unable to handle the impacts of this disaster. A similar situation is occurring in North Sumatra and West Sumatra. However, given such an emergency situation, disaster management is required to be swift, precise, and sustainable.

All of these indicators are considered to have met all the requirements for the designation of a national disaster status as regulated in several regulations, including Law Number 24 of 2007 concerning Disaster Management.

Other regulations include Government Regulation 21/2008 concerning Disaster Management and Presidential Regulation 17/2018 concerning Disaster Management in Specific Situations.

In these regulations, the indicators for the designation of a national disaster include the number of casualties or large-scale refugees. Furthermore, the disaster in question causes significant material losses, affects a wide area, and disrupts public and governmental services.

"All of these indicators are present in the disaster in Sumatra this time. Based on this, we urge the President to promptly declare the Sumatra disaster as a national disaster. The establishment of this status will be a manifestation of the state's presence in fulfilling the basic rights of the affected communities," said Alfian.

All of these indicators are present in the recent disaster in Sumatra. Based on this, we urge the President to promptly declare the Sumatra disaster as a national disaster. The establishment of this status will serve as a manifestation of the state's presence in fulfilling the basic rights of the affected communities.

A similar opinion was expressed by Taufik Abdullah, a political science lecturer at Malikussaleh University in North Aceh. According to him, the disaster in Sumatra has exceeded the region's capacity, necessitating full national support. In the field, it is evident that search and rescue operations are hindered by a lack of volunteer personnel and insufficient rescue equipment.

The limitations are exacerbated by the disruption of road and bridge access to and from the affected areas. This condition has hindered the distribution of aid, including food, clean water, communal kitchens, medical services, medications, and evacuation equipment. As a result, the affected residents are increasingly vulnerable to hunger and illness.

The health and safety risks for residents are increasing, especially for those in remote areas that are typically far from access. Fever, diarrhea, and skin infections are diseases that become a concern in the aftermath of a disaster.

In addition to the emergency response period, what should not be overlooked is the need during the recovery phase. This recovery process will require significant costs and energy, especially to repair or rebuild the homes of residents and all public facilities affected. Moreover, there are still many remnants of disaster materials that need to be cleared.

All these impacts require prompt handling and necessitate additional costs and efforts. Without full support from all relevant national agencies, these needs will not be met by local or provincial governments.

For this reason, the disaster in Sumatra must be designated as a national disaster. The aim is to ensure that the mobilization of response efforts and the distribution of aid are faster, well-coordinated, and sustainable from the emergency phase to recovery.

"The impact of the disaster in Sumatra is very concerning. Full attention from the central government through the declaration of a national disaster status is essential to ensure that the acceleration of handling and recovery proceeds optimally," said Taufik.

Aceh Governor Muzakir Manaf, also known as Mualem, while receiving a delegation from Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin at Sultan Iskandar Muda Airfield, Banda Aceh, on Saturday, stated that he is overwhelmed in dealing with the impacts of this disaster.

This is because many areas are isolated due to broken roads and bridges, such as in East Aceh, North Aceh, Gayo Lues, and Southeast Aceh.

Currently, the situation in those areas is becoming increasingly critical. Residents there are beginning to suffer from hunger and a shortage of fuel oil supplies. Therefore, Mualem hopes that the government will provide full support to expedite the handling of the impacts of the disaster.

"We are overwhelmed in terms of transportation because many areas are isolated, such as in East Aceh, North Aceh, Gayo Lues, and Southeast Aceh. Residents there are starting to experience hunger and a shortage of fuel supplies. We hope that with the presence of the Minister of Defense and the Commander of the Armed Forces, access to these regions can be opened soon so that the process of handling and distributing aid can be expedited," said Mualem.

In response to Mualem's request, Sjafrie assured that the central government would take swift action to expedite the evacuation process and the distribution of aid. They will also promptly restore the electricity network to ensure smooth communication.

On that occasion, Sjafrie also inquired about Mualem's opinion on whether the status of the disaster in Sumatra should be elevated to a national disaster. Mualem responded that the impact of the disaster has already been very significant and widespread, both in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.

Therefore, Mualem believes that the disaster in Sumatra should be declared a national disaster. "Considering the impacts experienced in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra, this disaster could potentially be declared a national emergency," said Mualem.

Upon hearing the response, Sjafrie committed to promptly report the results of the field evaluation to the President for further decision-making. "I will convey this to the President. Alongside that, all elements must continue to strengthen monitoring and response," said Sjafrie.

Previously, the Head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Suharyanto stated during a press conference broadcasted on the YouTube channel @bnpb_indonesia, Friday (28/11/2025) evening, that the debate over the disaster status in Sumatra does not need to be prolonged. Moreover, even if it is not classified as a national disaster, disaster management in Sumatra will remain optimal.

The central government, through the relevant ministries/agencies, continues to provide strong and maximum support for its handling. It is evident that the President has provided substantial assistance that began to be distributed since Friday morning. The military and police have also deployed their resources on a large scale.

"We are also deploying all the forces we have to all disaster-affected areas," he said.

So far, Suharyanto stated, only two disasters have been designated as national disasters, namely the Aceh earthquake and tsunami in 2004 and the Covid-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2023. This is due to the significant impact caused, both in terms of loss of life and material damage.

Regardless of the disaster status in Sumatra, the most important thing is that all parties must act quickly to provide assistance to the community.

This is because many residents are still trapped in the midst of the disaster's impacts and continue to grapple with the risks of hunger and disease outbreaks. Every second of their lives is far more valuable than merely being classified as a disaster.