Sumatra: Emergency aid in full swing
Indonesia: The people of Sumatra, Indonesia need food, drinking water, and medicine in the wake of Cyclone Senyar. Our local partners are providing assistance in this emergency situation. We are supporting them financially – thanks to your generous donations!
“Heartfelt thanks to the kind and generous donors! We are overwhelmed by your solidarity!”
That is the message we received from Syukur Tadu on the island of Sumatra. After the devastating cyclone, his organization, APEL Green Aceh, immediately began helping people trapped in the mud. Thanks to their deep local knowledge, they can act quickly and effectively. At first, they relied entirely on their own resources, since outside assistance only arrived later.
In Aceh Province, entire villages have been buried in mud, and many lives have been lost. People urgently need drinking water, food, hygiene items, and medicine. Reconstruction is still impossible – it will take a long time.
With support from your donations, APEL Green Aceh and the “Guardians of the Environment” KORJUANG are now providing emergency aid across an area stretching from the peatlands of the Leuser Ecosystem to the mountain region.
APEL Green Aceh is one of our partner organizations working closely with us to stop the massive destruction of mountain forests, peatlands, and mangroves. There is no doubt that the loss of forests greatly increased the cyclone’s destructive power.
The Aceh Wetland Forum (AWF), which plays a vital role in protecting wetlands, tragically lost its office and equipment. We are helping AWF get back to work.
In North Sumatra Province, our partners WALHI Sumut and AMAN have set up aid centers in many communities.
Thanks to your donations, we are currently supporting relief efforts in the Tapanuli districts around the Batang Toru Forest and in the mangrove belt along the east coast.
The Batang Toru Ecosystem in particular has suffered greatly from the cyclone’s impact. Our partners observed that the Batang Toru River carried away hundreds, perhaps thousands, of tree trunks – logs that had been felled and stored upstream awaiting transport.
The destruction of the rainforests contributed to the cyclone’s devastating force and tragic loss of life.
Both districts have been severely affected by the cyclone, and in both we are carrying out joint projects: protecting the Tapanuli orangutans, securing forest rights for Indigenous communities, and restoring mangroves.
All the more important, then, is the protection of forests – a mission to which we dedicate all our energy.
Along the east coast, some villages can only be reached by boat, while others remain isolated from the outside world.
We are delivering rice, drinking water, hygiene items, and other basic necessities, and doing our best to reach even the most remote areas.
It is essential to protect and restore the mangrove belt to prevent future disasters.
Our heartfelt thanks to all the generous donors who make this emergency relief possible.”
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