JakartaPost/Kompas/Tempo-Dec 16, 2025
Aceh residents are urging the government to allow the entry of 500 tons of humanitarian aid from Malaysia, as survivors continue to struggle nearly three weeks after devastating floods hit the province. The aid, donated by Acehnese communities living in Malaysia, remains stranded in Malaysia due to administrative hurdles and because the disaster has not been declared a national emergency, according to Aceh administration spokesperson Teuku Kamaruzzaman. “We are asking the central government to grant a dispensation so humanitarian aid from the Acehnese community in Malaysia can enter the province, even though Indonesia has not declared a national emergency,” Teuku told The Jakarta Post on Sunday. As survivors continue to struggle with limited aid, the Aceh administration has reached out to two United Nations agencies, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and UNICEF, to seek assistance in responding to the floods and landslides in the province. “The Aceh government has formally requested the involvement of several international agencies such as UNDP and UNICEF. Governor Muzakir Manaf has repeatedly emphasized the need for international aid to ensure a more robust disaster response,” Aceh administration spokesperson Muhammad MTA told Kompas.com on Sunday. MTA also stressed that international logistical assistance should be exempt from taxes. Previously, members of the Indonesian diaspora in Singapore expressed frustration over what they described as restrictive rules on delivering aid to victims of the devastating Sumatra floods, Tempo reported. Read more at: https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2025/12/16/aceh-urges-govt-to-allow-entry-of-humanitarian-aid-from-malaysia.html.
