A letter from Sumatra: solidarity is more than a word

To our friends and supporters at Rainforest Rescue,

Beutong is a treasure trove of nature. Our district lies in a valley at the heart of the Leuser Ecosystem on the island of Sumatra. This last great rainforest of Southeast Asia is famous for its biodiversity: Tigers, elephants, rhinos and orangutans share the same habitat here. The mountains are rich in minerals, gemstones and gold. 

Beutong also has social, cultural and spiritual meaning for us. We call it the “Land of the Saints” because spirituality, adat and our relationship with nature are woven into everyday life.

The ancient forest is our support, the clear rivers are the source of our lives, and we see nature as a whole that we care for and nurture across generations. In Beutong, you can still experience harmony between people and the environment – something that has become rare elsewhere under the pressure to “modernize”. Yet there is illegal logging in the mountains. And years ago we decided, unanimously, that there would be no mining in Beutong!

That harmony was shattered when the cyclone hit Sumatra on November 25, 2025. Floods and landslides destroyed our homes and fields. Life in our villages has been hit hard, and our sense of safety is gone. Eighty‑five percent of all buildings and almost all infrastructure have been wiped out. The villages of Babak Suak and Kuta Tengah Sayang were swept away by the raging waters. All that remains to us is devastated land.

Dust and dried mud are still everywhere. We lack the most basic necessities: We receive no government aid – no food, drinking water, medicine – and no information. Reconstruction is painfully slow, and anything like a normal life is still a long way off.

In the midst of this, solidarity has grown around us. Help has reached us – not from the rich and powerful, but from people who may never have heard of Beutong, yet refuse to look away.

Rainforest Rescue and APEL Green Aceh have provided humanitarian aid. They have brought food, drinking water, medicine, hygiene items, cooking utensils and essentials for women and children, step by step, to the camps for displaced people. Tents remain our homes to this day – even if the government claims otherwise.

One light shines especially brightly among all this emergency aid. One hundred small solar lamps glow in our tents. In this area without electricity, the light gives us a sense of safety – especially to women and children – and lets us do things in the evening.

We, the people of Beutong, say: 

This help means a great deal to us. It makes us feel that we are not alone. Our heartfelt thanks.”

Syukur Tadu, director of our partner organization APEL Green Aceh, explains:

For the people of Beutong, relief supplies are not just numbers in some report. They are proof that solidarity in this crisis is still alive. Women and children are especially vulnerable. They no longer have a safe space and do not have access to health care. That is why ongoing support for them is essential.

Beutong matters to all of humanity because it lies within the Leuser Ecosystem, between the mountain forests and the Ulu Masen forest on the coast. The ecology of this area is still largely in balance. The forest regulates water, is home to tigers and orangutans, and sustains people’s lives. Local communities are tireless in their resistance to logging and plans for mining. If the forest is destroyed, the next disaster is already looming – and it could be even worse.

The disaster in Beutong is a reminder that protecting the rainforest means protecting life. 

Solidarity in times of crisis strengthens the stewards of the forest!”

Support from Rainforest Rescue has also brought hope in a desperate situation. Not all problems have been solved. But the people of Beutong now know that they are not alone. Solidarity is more than just a word.

Our heartfelt thanks to all donors and to Rainforest Rescue!

Your solidarity gives us strength and hope. We will carry on!”

1. Adat is the broad system of traditional Indigenous law that governs relationships between people and with nature, as well as culture, clothing, religion, rituals and much more.