An Open Letter to the World

To the international community, humanitarian organizations, governments, and all people of conscience,

We write to you today from a place of urgency and deep concern. Across Acheh and other parts of Sumatra, widespread flooding has pushed thousands of families into a humanitarian crisis that is rapidly deteriorating. What is unfolding is not a distant statistic or an abstract emergency—it is a daily struggle for survival for ordinary people who now lack the most basic necessities of life.

The situation on the ground is dire. Many flood victims are without adequate food, clean drinking water, and essential daily supplies. Families have been forced to flee their homes and now sleep in makeshift tents with little or no protection. In numerous areas, displaced people are sheltering in palm oil plantations—open, unsafe environments that expose them to mosquitoes, snakes, and other poisonous creatures. These are not conditions fit for human survival, let alone dignity.

The health consequences are already visible and alarming. Children, women, and the elderly—those most vulnerable in any crisis—are showing clear signs of weakened immune systems. Skin rashes, persistent coughing, fevers, and cases of diarrhea are increasingly common. Without timely medical attention, clean water, and proper sanitation, these symptoms risk escalating into outbreaks of preventable disease. What is currently a humanitarian emergency could soon become a public health disaster.

Despite the scale of suffering, assistance remains painfully limited. At present, the primary source of aid comes from local charities and community groups—many of them flood victims themselves—who are working beyond exhaustion with minimal resources. This “victims helping victims” reality is a testament to human solidarity, but it is not sustainable. Local capacity has reached its limits.

Without immediate and substantial international assistance, the situation is expected to worsen. Prolonged displacement, malnutrition, exposure to disease, and psychological trauma will leave lasting scars on an entire generation. Delays now will be measured later in lives lost, health permanently damaged, and communities pushed deeper into poverty.

We therefore appeal to the world: this is the moment to act. Achehnese and Sumatran flood victims urgently need food aid, clean water, medical support, sanitation facilities, mosquito protection, safe temporary shelters, and long-term recovery assistance. Humanitarian principles demand that help be guided by need, not politics, and delivered before suffering becomes irreversible.

And if you are unable to provide material assistance, we ask for something equally vital: your voice.

We urge governments, international institutions, human rights organizations, journalists, and global civil society to apply immediate pressure on the Indonesian government to allow full and unhindered access for international humanitarian aid to enter Acheh. When local capacity is overwhelmed, blocking or delaying international assistance is not a bureaucratic decision—it is a human rights issue. Humanitarian aid must never be politicized while people suffer.

And if you are unable to provide help at this moment, there remains a critical responsibility that cannot be postponed to charity alone: accountability and prevention.

We ask the international community to continue applying pressure on the Indonesian government to confront one of the root causes of these recurring disasters—systematic deforestation and irresponsible land management. Large-scale forest clearing, particularly for extractive industries and monoculture plantations, has severely weakened natural flood barriers, destroyed watersheds, and increased soil instability. These practices turn heavy rain into catastrophe and transform seasonal weather into mass displacement and loss of life. What is happening in Acheh and across Sumatra is not solely the result of nature; it is the predictable outcome of policy choices that prioritize short-term profit over human safety and environmental sustainability.

If you cannot help today with food, water, or medicine, help tomorrow by refusing to allow Indonesia's policies to continue without consequence. Demand transparency, stronger environmental protections, and genuine enforcement of forest conservation laws. Urge Indonesian authorities to respect indigenous land rights and local ecological knowledge, which have long protected these landscapes from collapse.

We also call on individuals, institutions, and corporations worldwide to examine their own roles in sustaining harmful systems. If possible, boycott Indonesia palm oil products linked to irresponsible or illegal practices, and pressure companies to adopt and verify deforestation-free supply chains. Consumer choices, institutional procurement policies, and investor scrutiny have real power. When markets refuse to reward destruction, governments and corporations are forced to change.

This disaster must not be allowed to fade into another forgotten tragedy, only to be repeated again and again. Preventing the next flood is as urgent as responding to this one. Solidarity means not only helping the victims of today, but standing with future generations by challenging the policies and practices that put their lives at risk.

Solidarity is not merely a sentiment; it is an action. We call upon international humanitarian organizations, donor governments, civil society, and concerned individuals to respond with urgency, compassion, and resolve. The people of Acheh and Sumatra should not be left to endure this crisis alone.

History will remember not only the disaster, but also how the world chose to respond.

With urgency and hope,

On behalf of the flood victims of Acheh and Sumatra