No Rendang Flying Today, Sumatra Needs Public Kitchens and Expert Recommendations

Rendang from West Sumatra often serves as a reliable logistics source for disaster survivors in various regions of Indonesia. Now, it is the turn of West Sumatra, along with North Sumatra and Aceh, to require attention. Not only logistics, but these three regions also need the best mitigation efforts to prevent disasters from claiming the lives of loved ones.

According to Kompas, rendang from West Sumatra (Sumbar) began flying to various regions in Indonesia after the earthquake in Bener Meriah Regency, Aceh, in late 2016 (Kompas.id, 3/5/2019). Around 1 ton of rendang was shipped there.

Since then, West Sumatra has continued to send rendang assistance to several regions affected by major disasters. Some of these include the severe flooding in Bengkulu, the earthquake in West Sulawesi, a series of disasters in Central Sulawesi, and the flooding in South Kalimantan.

A total of 1.5 tons of rendang also arrived for the survivors of Mount Semeru in East Java in 2021. In the same year, rendang also arrived as logistics for the survivors of Cyclone Seroja in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). In West Java, rendang also became the best food source for the survivors of the M 5.6 earthquake in Cianjur Regency in 2022.

Padang State University sociology lecturer Erianjoni believes that West Sumatra's habit of sending rendang aid is an expression of the Minang people's sense of brotherhood.

This custom, Erianjoni said, stems from the local wisdom of the Minang people, known as badoncek (pooling). Residents collectively pool money or goods to help relatives or others in need.

In addition, he continued, the choice of rendang as assistance is due to its long shelf life. In disaster situations, not only is it difficult to obtain food, but survivors who are in pain and mourning may also lack an appetite. The deliciousness of rendang is expected to serve as a comfort and remedy for hunger during difficult times.

"This habit deserves to be a model in assisting those who are in difficulty. It gives the impression that we live together, and the values of tolerance are increasingly high," he said.

This year, rendang may not travel far for disaster survivors. West Sumatra itself is currently besieged by disasters, along with Aceh and North Sumatra.

According to data from Basarnas as of Friday (28/11/2025) at 12:00 PM WIB, 105 people have died in North Sumatra and West Sumatra. The number of fatalities in Aceh has not yet been recorded.

Solidarity has emerged. On social media, many parties are opening donations for disaster survivors in West Sumatra, North Sumatra, and Aceh. If in the past rendang was sent to various regions, it is now the turn of the people of Sumatra Island who should receive attention from residents of various places.

One of the parties receiving donations for disaster survivors is the Gubuak Kopi Community in Solok City, West Sumatra. Since two days prior, on Wednesday (26/11/2025), this creative community in Solok City has opened donations for the operational costs of a public kitchen for disaster survivors in 10 villages. So far, the donations collected have reached Rp 70 million.

"Donations also come from outside West Sumatra. Some have come from Jakarta to the Netherlands," said the donation coordinator at the Gubuak Kopi Community, Prima Nanda (29).

Prima stated that the donations were then managed by volunteers. In addition to artists, there were farmers, livestock breeders, and students participating as well. Some were responsible for shopping for ingredients, cooking, and delivering food. A total of 15 individuals oversaw two community kitchens.

“Many people who have worked with us before are helping out,” Nanda said.

The coordinator of the community kitchen, Gubuak Kopi, Albert Rahman (34), stated that the funds from donations have so far been used for the operations of two community kitchens. The first kitchen is located in the Kampung Jawa area, Tanjung Harapan District, and the second kitchen is in Jorong Simpang Koto Baru, Kubung District.

Every day, 1,000 portions are prepared in both kitchens. Of these, 500 portions are served for lunch and the other 500 portions for dinner.

So far, with the available funds, one portion is equivalent to Rp 15,000. The menu includes rice, chicken, eggs, and vegetables.

Albert said there was no rendang in the kitchen yet, citing insufficient funds to cook it.

Moreover, it takes a long time to prepare rendang. However, during emergency response situations, speed is essential to serve disaster survivors. "Perhaps when the funds are sufficient, and the time and volunteers are available, there will be rendang for the refugees," said Albert.

For those who wish to donate, this community has opened a BRI Bank account number 009101023129539 in the name of Prima Nanda.

However, West Sumatra, North Sumatra, and Aceh do not only need logistics to face this disaster. To prevent further adverse events, the residents there require the best mitigation. We must ensure that this deadly disaster does not recur and take the lives of beloved individuals.

From Makassar, the Head of the Disaster Studies Center at Hasanuddin University, Ilham Alimuddin, stated that the disasters in North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh are the accumulation of cyclone storms and environmental conditions.

"I see that there is an influence of a cyclone from Thailand to Malaysia and then to the Sumatra region. This is not a local disaster that exists in isolation, but a series of global disasters that move from one place to another. However, the environmental conditions exacerbate this disaster," he said in Makassar, Friday (28/11/2025).

He stated that the cyclone causing heavy rainfall is merely a trigger. If the cover or vegetation is already diminished and exacerbated by the narrowing and shallowing of water flows or rivers, materials will be easily carried away.

"Imagine if a cyclone strikes, then the rainfall is very high and the surface barriers are already insufficient, the material such as soil, rocks, and wood can be easily swept away. Moreover, if the rivers are also unable to accommodate the volume of water, the result will be flash floods," he said.

The elevation from upstream to downstream also significantly affects the speed and force of the water flow. This is what allows a large amount of material to easily strike the villages along the river's course down to the downstream.

"Even though forest cover has decreased, if it doesn't rain, nothing happens. When it rains, especially with heavy rainfall, the surface water is carried away. Conversely, even if the rainfall volume is high, if there is still vegetation to hold it back, even if the water overflows, the situation won't be as severe," he said.

Ilham stated that the flash floods in West Sumatra and North Sumatra are similar to those that occurred in Masamba, North Luwu, South Sulawesi, in 2020. At that time, the flash floods claimed the lives of 38 people and left more than 10 others missing.

"In Masamba, a landslide occurred upstream due to the fragile rock structure, and eventually, the landslide material was carried away by water, impacting the river and downstream areas. The difference in Sumatra is that the water appears murkier and brownish. This indicates that the amount of mud material carried from upstream is significantly greater," he said.

Similarly, concern also arises from Bandung. Meanwhile, Hydrology expert from Padjadjaran University, Prof. Chay Asdak, stated that there are two main factors triggering disasters in North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh.

The first factor is natural elements influenced by cyclones and the topography of the region. The impact of the tropical cyclone Senyar, which triggers extreme weather, becomes more pronounced when it is in hilly areas. In hilly regions, evaporation typically occurs at a higher rate, leading to the formation of convective clouds that cause extreme weather, such as storms and strong winds.

"The impact of cyclones and evaporation in the hills makes extreme weather even more intense," he said.

Chay stated that natural phenomena can never be fought against. However, their impacts can be mitigated. At the very least, local governments or residents in the surrounding areas can be better prepared to face the possibility of cyclones in vulnerable regions.

"In the future, I hope that information regarding cyclone vulnerabilities and topography is provided by BMKG more quickly and accurately. This should be directed to disaster management agencies, local governments, or the public. The aim is for the best mitigation to prevent loss of life," he said.

The second factor is human or anthropogenic factors. In this case, the cause is human, one of which is land use policy. Without ideal regulations, Chay stated, human actions will only invite greater dangers in the future.

"Palm oil plantations and food estates, for example, require ideal management. We're not rejecting either, but going forward, implementation on the ground must continue to minimize future disasters," he said.