Flood and landslide death toll in Sumatra provinces rises to 1,068
Indonesia’s disaster agency said deaths from floods and landslides in Aceh, West Sumatra and North Sumatra have reached 1,068, with hundreds of thousands displaced as authorities begin shifting towards early recovery efforts.
- Indonesia’s flood and landslide death toll across three provinces has risen to 1,068, with 190 people still missing.
- More than 537,000 people remain displaced, and 27 districts and cities are under emergency status.
- The government has begun transitioning from emergency response to early recovery efforts
The death toll from floods and landslides across Aceh, West Sumatra and North Sumatra has climbed to 1,068, with 190 people still reported missing, Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said on Thursday.
Abdul Muhari, head of BNPB’s Disaster Data, Information and Communication Centre, said search and rescue teams had recovered nine additional bodies during ongoing operations and identification efforts. The latest fatalities were recorded in North Aceh (three), East Aceh (two), South Tapanuli (one), Langkat (one), Agam (one) and Padang Pariaman (one).
“The number of fatalities has increased from 1,059 on December 17 to 1,068,” Muhari said during an online press briefing on 18 Dec 2025.
He added that 537,185 people remain displaced, while 27 districts and cities are still under a state of emergency.
Muhari said the government has begun shifting its focus beyond emergency response, following instructions from President Prabowo Subianto. “In this second phase, we are not only concentrating on search and rescue, logistics, road access, communications and energy, but also optimizing efforts to initiate early recovery,” he said.
Civil Society Coalition Urges National Disaster Status for Sumatra Floods
A coalition of 113 civil society organisations has issued a legal notice calling on President Prabowo Subianto to declare the severe floods and landslides in Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra a national disaster.
In a statement released by the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), the coalition cited the high number of casualties, widespread infrastructure damage and mounting socio-economic losses, arguing that the scale of the crisis exceeds the capacity of local governments.
YLBHI chair Muhammad Isnur warned that conditions in shelters remain highly vulnerable, particularly for women, children, older persons and people with disabilities, amid limited access to clean water, sanitation and healthcare.
The coalition said damaged roads and disrupted communications have hampered evacuations, medical response and logistics, leaving several districts isolated and worsening the humanitarian situation.
The coalition said a national disaster declaration would enable full central government intervention, including national funding, technical assistance and integrated reconstruction planning, as well as cross-regional investigations into environmental and governance failures.
President Prabowo, however, has said the current regional emergency status remains sufficient to manage the floods and landslides, stating during a visit to Central Tapanuli on 1 December 2025 that authorities continue to monitor developments closely.
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