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View all search resultsHomes in Aceh remain buried under thick, hardened mud three months after Sumatra floods
Firman Banurea, 40, who has been living in a makeshift shelter in Aceh Tamiang regency with his wife and three children, said that, in addition to the mud still covering residents’ homes, logs and other debris left by the November disaster continue to accumulate along the roadside, creating a serious hazard.
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Thousands of tonnes of wood and mud cover the grounds of Pondok Pesantren Darul Mukhlisin, an integrated Islamic boarding school in Tanjung Karang, a village in Karang Baru district, Aceh Tamiang regency, Aceh, following the November 2025 disaster in northern Sumatra. (Photo credit: TREND ASIA/Ferdy Siregar)
T
hree months after devastating floods tore through Aceh, thousands of homes and farms remain buried beneath thick, hardened mud, as cleanup efforts stall and uncertainty clouds the disbursement of government restoration aid.
In Lebuk Mane village, North Aceh regency, 54-year-old Bachtiar Ali said every part of his house remained buried under hardened mud up to 70 centimeters thick, making it nearly impossible to clear without heavy machinery.
“We don’t have the tools or enough manpower to clear the heavy mud and debris. If I hire workers to clean this house, it could cost up to Rp 5 million [US$296], I don’t have that much money,” he told The Jakarta Post in a recent interview.
Bachtiar, who has been living in a nearby warehouse with his wife since the disaster struck in November last year, said the hardened mud had not only prevented him from returning home but also from resuming his livelihood as a farmer.
“The flash flood wiped out my cocoa and oil palm plantations. It’s impossible to replant because the land is completely covered in thick mud. I haven’t earned any income since the disaster,” he said.
He added that authorities have so far focused on clearing public facilities such as roads and government offices, while residential homes and farmland remain neglected.
“I hope the government will extend cleanup efforts to affected homes and agricultural land,” he said.
