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Takengon, Aceh – Residents of a village in Aceh Tengah province undertook a harrowing 10-kilometer trek on foot, carrying two pregnant women on a makeshift stretcher, too reach the nearest hospital after floods and landslides blocked access to healthcare.The dramatic rescue, involving around 50 villagers, highlights the challenges faced by communities impacted by recent severe weather in the region.
Sumber gambar, ANTARA FOTO/Syifa Yulinnas
Six days after devastating floods struck parts of Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra on November 26, 2025, the region of Aceh Tengah remains cut off from surrounding areas.
The disruption of roadways has led to dwindling supplies of essential goods.
Amidst the hardship, reports of looting have surfaced in Aceh Tengah, and tensions flared at a market in Takengon as residents jostled for limited supplies of rice.
BBC News Indonesia correspondent Iwan Bahagia reported that four aid shipments have reached Aceh Tengah via Rembele Airport in the neighboring district of Bener Meriah.
One delivery, made Monday, December 1, included 13 tons of rice provided by Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono.
A resident of Aceh Tengah, identified as Iwan, expressed concern that the situation will worsen “if there is no certainty from the government regarding food availability in the next 2-3 days.”
“Basic necessities are limited and will only last another 2-3 days,” he said.
The following is testimony from residents of Aceh Tengah, six days after the floods and landslides.
Sumber gambar, ANTARA FOTO/Syifa Yulinnas
Isolated by Road Closures and Intermittent Communications
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Since the flooding began on November 26, Aceh Tengah and its neighboring district, Bener Meriah, have been largely isolated.
Correspondent Iwan Bahagia, reporting from Takengon, Aceh Tengah, said the two districts were only partially reconnected on Tuesday, December 2 – though roadways remain impassable in many areas.
The only access to both regions is currently through Rembele Airport, located in Bener Meriah.
As of Tuesday, December 2, five national roads in Aceh Tengah were reported closed due to flooding and landslides.
An additional six provincial roads and 59 local roads are also impassable.
Twenty-two people have been confirmed dead as a result of the disaster, with 23 others still missing.
The floods and landslides have damaged 2,218 homes and displaced 37,129 residents.
Local resident Iwan corroborated Bahagia’s reporting, stating that transportation has been “completely cut off.” He added that cell service and internet connectivity in the district are intermittent.
Sumber gambar, ANTARA FOTO/Syifa Yulinnas
Fuel Shortages and Price Gouging
In addition to food shortages, fuel is also becoming scarce in Aceh Tengah due to the disrupted transportation network.
Correspondent Iwan Bahagia reported that fuel supplies are dwindling, with long lines forming at gas stations.
A local police officer stationed in Takengon, who requested to be identified only as Saka, confirmed the situation.
Sumber gambar, ANTARA FOTO/Ampelsa
Of the three gas stations in Takengon, he said only one still had fuel available, and lines stretched for kilometers.
Saka also noted that fuel was being resold at significantly inflated prices at small roadside shops. “They’re charging Rp45,000 to Rp50,000 [about $2.80 to $3.10 USD] a liter. At the Pertamina stations, the price is normal,” he said.
Sumber gambar, ANTARA FOTO/Irwansyah Putra
Dwindling Food Supplies
The disruption of roadways and dwindling fuel supplies in Aceh Tengah are hindering the distribution of food.
As a result, food supplies are becoming increasingly scarce.
Correspondent Iwan Bahagia reported that a scuffle broke out at a grocery store in Takengon on Tuesday, December 2, as residents argued over the limited supply of rice.
Residents were limited to purchasing only two cups of rice each.
Resident Iwan said food stocks are dwindling as they enter the sixth day after the disaster.
Iwan said he has only about 5 kilograms of rice left to feed his wife and three children.
“Basic necessities are hard to come by; we’re relying on what we have at home,” he said.
Sumber gambar, AFP via Getty Images
Residents Carry Pregnant Woman to Safety on Makeshift Stretcher
The floods and landslides in Aceh Tengah have made it difficult for some residents to access healthcare facilities.
Two pregnant women in Kampung Kenawat were assisted by residents in reaching the nearest hospital.
The village is located on the edge of Lake Lut Tawar. They were staying at an evacuation center.
Both women went into labor around the same time, but access to the hospital was blocked by flooding and landslides.
Residents then improvised a stretcher.
They carried the two women on foot for 10 kilometers to the nearest hospital.
Around 50 residents took turns carrying them.
Sumber gambar, ANTARA FOTO/Auliya Rahman
They navigated through rice paddies to reach the neighboring village of Kampung Pedemun.
It is about three kilometers from Kampung Kenawat.
“We made a stretcher out of bamboo and sarongs. We took turns carrying them both. One is named Bengi, I forgot the other one,” said Ijal, one of the residents who participated in the journey, on Tuesday, December 2.
Ijal said he only accompanied them to Kampung Pedemun.
They then boarded a small boat to reach a pier, known locally as a boom, in Takengon Timur.
They crossed the lake using a boat owned by a local fisherman.
“They were then transported to the hospital by borrowing a car from a local resident,” Ijal told BBC News Indonesia correspondent Iwan Bahagia.
