Don't Let Administrative Obstacles Hinder Aid for Flood Victims in Sumatra |

Flash flood conditions in North Aceh Regency, Indonesia. Exclusive photo by @ayijufridar.

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Hi everyone. It's been a while since I posted on Steemit. We live in a disaster area. The electricity and internet aren't always on. When they are, I'm sometimes on my way to deliver aid to victims. So I can't post.

When I get home, the electricity is out. So is the internet. Even if it's on, sometimes I'm too tired to post.

The photos in this post are exclusive photos from the disaster areas, from North Aceh, Langsa, East Aceh, and especially Aceh Tamiang, which was the worst hit. I'm posting them here so Steemians around the world can see the severity of the flooding at the end of this year.

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More than two weeks after the massive floods and landslides that struck Sumatra, including Aceh, numerous obstacles remain in the distribution of aid to victims in evacuation centers. Various reports are circulating on the ground, ranging from aid being lost, aid being confiscated, to aid not being distributed due to administrative issues.

Although President Prabowo stated that the situation has been well-managed, conditions on the ground appear different. Observations byklik.com at several locations in North Aceh Regency, Langsa City, and Aceh Tamiang Regency show the situation remains dire.

While aid from various sources continues to flow, residents are still fighting for drinking water distributed by road users. Amidst the debris of the flood, among the wreckage of cars and motorcycles, residents are gathering aid from road users. Some are offering money, used clothing, and others are offering basic necessities and drinks.

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It's heartbreaking to see flood victims in Aceh Tamiang fighting over bottled mineral water bottles on the roadside.

Amidst these conditions, reports have emerged of aid languishing in warehouses or at the airport, unable to be released due to various administrative requirements.

A volunteer from Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) in Lhokseumawe City revealed that some aid is awaiting a letter from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) before it can be released from the airport. Meanwhile, the BNPB, for some reason, has not yet processed the distribution of this aid.

The affected communities need immediate assistance. They should no longer need to seek assistance from road users if aid from various parties has already been distributed.

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The backlog of administrative procedures should not hinder the speed of response. When thousands of people are forced to evacuate, waiting for food, medicine, blankets, and clean water, aid is caught up in administrative issues that seem more important than human safety.

At various points, reports indicate that aid collection from humanitarian agencies, community organizations, and the private sector is hampered by the need to complete certain documents that are not even relevant in an emergency situation.

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Even more ironically, land transportation is hampered by damaged or blocked roads, while air travel is limited by unpredictable weather and rigid shipping regulations, even during disasters. Amidst vulnerability and uncertainty, the bureaucracy remains uncompromising.

Displaced people in North Aceh, Bireuen, Pidie, Pidie Jaya, East Aceh, Aceh Tamiang, South Aceh, and other areas need assistance within hours, not waiting for days of coordination meetings.

In refugee camps, mothers struggle to ensure their children receive food and shelter. The elderly and toddlers need basic medicines that cannot wait for "paperwork to be completed." Every minute of delay can worsen health conditions, increase psychological burdens, and in some cases, be life-threatening.

We must be willing to admit: Aceh does not yet have a truly responsive disaster response system. Weak coordination, non-adaptive procedures, and the minimal use of information technology to quickly map needs have slowed aid delivery.

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The government and relevant agencies should have an emergency mechanism that automatically cuts off procedures when a disaster status is declared. Instead, it's tightened with central regulations that will actually hinder the disaster management and recovery process.

Disasters should unite all parties in one focus: saving people. When administration is prioritized over lives, the emergency isn't just the flood, but also our mindset. Aceh needs swift, decisive, and humane disaster bureaucratic reform—so that aid no longer stops at the administrative desk, but reaches those who need it.[]

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