Tragic Story of Disaster Victim: Survived Aceh Tsunami, Now Home Destroyed by Flood

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The poignant story of a flood and landslide victim in Aceh touched the heart of Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Tito Karnavian. As Chairman of the Task Force (Satgas) for Accelerating Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (PRR) Post-Sumatra Disaster, Tito regularly visits various affected areas to assess post-disaster conditions. During one of his visits in Bener Meriah, Tito met one of the evacuees who had experienced two major disasters in Aceh. “Well, there was one that really touched me, namely I met a mother in Bener Meriah, at the Bener Meriah evacuation centre. It’s in the mountains. Bener Meriah is the Gayo highlands,” Tito told Kompas.com at his residence in the Senayan area, Jakarta, on Monday (23/3/2026). “At the time of the tsunami, she was still small, her family and home were destroyed, but she survived,” Tito revealed. Due to trauma after surviving the tsunami, the woman moved away from the coastal area to the highlands of Aceh, specifically Bener Meriah Regency. Now, misfortune has struck the woman again as she had to endure a major flood and landslide disaster that once more destroyed her home. “This (her house) was on the riverbank, her house was also completely destroyed because it was hit by flooding from high rainfall. ‘So that’s my fate, sir, hit by the sea, hit by the mountains too’,” Tito continued. The former National Police Chief admitted to being very saddened by the condition of the disaster victims affected in three provinces of Sumatra in November 2025. Nevertheless, as Chairman of the Task Force for Accelerating Post-Disaster Recovery, he must focus on helping with handling in various affected areas. “This is in a state of difficulty for everyone affected. So we work with a sincere heart; for me, this is an opportunity to gain as much reward as possible,” he said. Tito also emphasised that the government will continue to be present to accompany the victims during the post-disaster recovery period.