Direct Action: PEMA Chief Delivers Aid to Aceh’s Cut-Off Flood Zones

Twenty-four days after catastrophic floods first tore through the province, the head of Aceh’s regional development enterprise has bypassed bureaucratic channels to personally deliver aid to villages still reeling from the deluge. Mawardi Nur, President Director of PT Pembangunan Aceh (PEMA), led a logistics convoy into the heart of Aceh Timur, targeting remote settlements where infrastructure has been obliterated.

PT PEMA President Director Mawardi Nur delivers aid to flash flood victims in East Aceh. Photo: PT PEMA

IDI RAYEUK — The intervention comes as many communities in the Pante Bidari district—including Gampong Pante Rambong and Buket Bata—remain in a state of ruin. 

In these areas, the sheer force of the floodwaters did not just submerge homes but swept them away entirely, leaving families to survive in makeshift tents amidst the debris of their former lives.

"This is a matter of social responsibility and our commitment to the people of Aceh," Nur said during the distribution, noting that the mission followed a direct mandate from Aceh Governor Muzakir Manaf. 

"Our focus is to ensure that aid reaches the 'last mile'—those who are often overlooked because their villages are so difficult to access."

The relief package includes essential survival rations such as rice, clean water, and instant meals, alongside critical non-food items like sarongs, nappies for infants, and daily hygiene kits. 

For the elderly and children languishing in emergency shelters, these supplies represent a vital lifeline as daily life remains paralyzed by the lack of clean water and electricity.

The humanitarian situation in East Aceh remains grim. Field reports indicate that while initial aid was distributed via district authorities earlier this month, the specific needs of those whose homes were totally destroyed require a more sustained and direct presence. 

"We hope this assistance lightens the burden on our citizens and serves as a cornerstone for the long recovery process ahead," Nur added.

The disaster, which began on 26 November 2025, was triggered by a period of unprecedented monsoon intensity that caused major rivers to burst their banks and triggered massive landslides across the Sumatran interior. 

Weeks later, the scars of the event are still raw. With primary transport routes still hindered by sludge and local economies at a standstill, the state-owned BUMD has pledged to remain active in the rehabilitation of the province until some semblance of normalcy returns to the survivors.