Children risk as floods and landslides devastate communities across Sumatra
8 December 2025The humanitarian situation in Sumatra continues to deteriorate as children and their families face the aftermath of some the most severe floods and landslides Indonesia has experienced in recent years.
According to local authorities, 921 people have lost their lives in the disasters, 392 individuals are still missing, and more than 975,079 people have been displaced.
The scale of destruction spans 51 districts and cities, where over 121,000 homes, 1,009 schools, 270 health facilities, and 405 bridges have been damaged or destroyed.
In Aceh, where Plan International Indonesia has been delivering emergency assistance since November 29th, entire villages remain engulfed in mud and debris.
Many of the communities that the emergency response teams have visited are still cut off due to collapsed bridges and landslides, slowing rescue efforts, and limiting the delivery of life-saving assistance.
Families have been forced to seek refuge in makeshift shelters and crowded spaces where privacy is nearly non-existent, and basic needs remain unmet.
Speaking from Pidie Jaya, a city in the province of Aceh where approximately 67,000 people are displaced, Dini Widiastuti, Executive Director at Plan International Indonesia said:
“We are witnessing communities who have lost everything. Families are sleeping on cold floors without mats or blankets.
“Children are living in shelters with no proper sanitation or safe water. The conditions are extremely difficult, and the risks for women and girls are especially concerning.”
Critical emergency
In several displacement sites in West Sumatra, access to clean water has become a critical emergency.
Plan International’s team found that entire communities relied on a single water source used simultaneously for bathing, washing clothes, and as a toilet. With no separation or privacy, girls, women, boys, and men are all forced to use the same space.
These conditions have already resulted in children developing skin rashes, infected wounds from the evacuation, and early signs of respiratory infections. Risks increase after dark.
With very limited lighting in the camps at night, girls and women face greater protection concerns, and they feel afraid of moving around the site to fetch water or use makeshift sanitation facilities.
Livelihoods have also been destroyed. Many of the families affected in Aceh rely on farming, and their fields have been swept away or buried under landslides.
Without land to farm, households face the prospect of prolonged economic hardship that will hinder recovery long after the waters recede.
Humanitarian access remains one of the most urgent challenges. In the Birueun area, the collapse of multiple bridges has left entire areas cut off from assistance.
Delays to humanitarian aid
Plan International Indonesia’s emergency teams witnessed first-hand how at least 48 villages remain isolated, with communities fully dependent on dangerous, improvised methods to cross fast-flowing rivers.
With no functioning bridges, people are forced to use small wooden boats or a makeshift iron cart attached to a manual pulley system – hauled by residents themselves – just to transport basic goods, seek medical help, or reach evacuation points.
These extreme access barriers significantly delay the delivery of humanitarian aid, especially for children, adolescent girls, pregnant women, and elderly people who cannot safely make the crossing.
As long as these routes remain severed, the most vulnerable face heightened risks, from health complications to protection concerns, and will continue to struggle to receive even the most basic lifesaving support.
Education has also come to a standstill. Children have not attended school for more than a week, and in many areas classroom buildings are buried under thick mud or severely damaged.
With no emergency learning spaces yet available, many children remain without access to learning or psychosocial support during a time of deep distress.
“This disaster has pushed children’s education into a state of emergency. Hundreds of thousands of children are suddenly cut off from education, protection, and the stability they desperately need,” Widiastuti added.
“Without emergency learning spaces and psychosocial support, children risk not only falling behind academically but also suffering long-term emotional and psychological impacts.
Restoration of education and safe spaces a priority
We urge all stakeholders to accelerate the restoration of education services, including the immediate establishment of safe, child-friendly learning spaces, so that every child can regain a sense of normalcy and hope.”
Plan International Indonesia has deployed emergency teams across in Aceh and West Sumatra, to deliver 23 tons immediate assistance, including 150 shelter kits (tarpaulins and ropes), 150 hygiene kits, 200 menstrual hygiene management kits, 404 blankets, 787 mats, and other essential supplies.
Our teams are collaborating with local authorities at all levels and engaging potential local partners to anticipate emerging needs as the situation evolves. With infrastructure heavily damaged and needs rising daily, available resources remain far below what is required.
“The needs here are immense. Behind every statistic is a child, a parent, a family trying to survive. We must continue working together to ensure that support reaches those who need it most, especially children and women who face the highest risks in crises like this,” Widiastuti concluded.
“We call on national and international partners, donors, and the public to continue supporting emergency efforts in Sumatra.
“Sustained assistance is urgently needed to restore access to clean water, hygiene, health services, safety, and education while helping families rebuild their lives and livelihoods in the months ahead.”
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