Elephants in action.Image: keystone
Dec 8, 2025, 12:28 p.mDec 8, 2025, 12:28 p.m
After weeks of flooding and landslides in the north of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the death toll has risen to almost 1,000.
Almost a million people have been driven from their homesthe national civil protection agency (BNPB) said on Monday. Hundreds of people were also injured and more than 230 were missing.
According to the authority, 52 districts and cities, especially in the provinces, have been badly hit Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra. Civil protection also recorded damage to more than 156,000 houses. According to the BNPB, Aceh is the most affected, with more than 900,000 displaced people across the province. President Prabowo Subianto visited flood-affected areas in Aceh on Sunday.
Aid deliveries reach Aceh.Image: keystone
Sumatra is almost as big as Germany, Austria and Switzerland combined. The elongated island lies west of Malaysia on the equator and is repeatedly hit by natural disasters.
Devastating floods in other countries too
Indonesia’s rainy season, which typically peaks between November and April, often brings severe flooding. The latest flood is considered one of the worst in recent years. Environmental groups and disaster experts have warned for years that rapid deforestation, unregulated development and degraded river basins have increased risks for communities in Sumatra.
Further heavy rain is expected for parts of the island in the coming days. According to the authorities, a total of 3.3 million of the approximately 60 million inhabitants are affected by the flood. Devastating rainfall recently led to severe flooding in several countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia. (rbu/sda/dpa)