The floods that struck almost a week ago have already claimed 303 lives—a toll likely to increase as more victims are found—and have forced thousands from their homes.
Authorities said on Sunday (November 30, 2025) that some people on flood-stricken Sumatra had turned to looting as they searched for food and water to survive.
The floods that hit nearly a week ago have killed 303 people—the toll is expected to rise as more bodies are found—and displaced thousands. The floods have triggered landslides, damaged roads, cut off parts of the island, and disrupted communication lines.
Challenging weather conditions and a lack of heavy equipment have also hampered rescue efforts. Aid has been slow to reach the hardest-hit city of Sibolga and the Central Tapanuli district in North Sumatra.
Videos on social media show looters running over collapsed barricades, flooded roads, and broken glass to get food, medicine, and gas. Some have even waded through waist-deep floodwaters to reach damaged convenience stores.
Police spokesman Ferry Walintukan said North Sumatra police first reported the looting on Saturday evening, adding that regional police had been deployed to restore order.
Eleven helicopters were deployed from Jakarta to continue logistics distribution operations in the affected areas the day after the disaster, especially in the deepest areas and where land contact had been cut off, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said on Sunday, “but unpredictable weather often hinders aid operations.”
The Cabinet Secretariat released footage of the military airdropping supplies to the affected areas. In the dusty village of North Tapanuli, survivors waved indifferently at helicopters carrying aid. Meanwhile, four navy ships docked at the port to support aid distribution.
Home to more than 280 million people, Indonesia, located on the Pacific Basin’s “Ring of Fire” of volcanoes and fault lines, is prone to frequent earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis. Seasonal rains also cause frequent flooding and landslides.
