For more than two weeks, the situation in Acheh is still dire and the need for international

Free Acheh Movement

Press Release 18 December 2025

For more than two weeks, the situation in Acheh is still dire and the need for international humanitarian assistance is urgently needed as the rescue and repair operations are very limited and moving at snail pace.

The local authorities have very limited resources and the condition of the terrain is inaccessible without airborne operations. So far, only a few helicopters are used in the hard hit areas.  

To make things more difficult, international assistance is denied because the central government of Jakarta refuses to declare the catastrophe as a national disaster on the contrary to what happened during the tsunami in Acheh in 2004. They claimed to be able to handle the situation on their own, when we have seen that under this difficult time nothing significant has changed on the ground.

500 tons of logistics from the Achehnese community in Malaysia were denied entry. There was also a plane loaded with supplies that was denied access by the military. A local journalist reporting the incident was intimidated.

In fact, the Government of Indonesia is bonded with the peace agreement signed on 15 August 2005 in Helsinki, Finland. with the Free Acheh Movement (GAM), the Memorandum of 

Understanding (MoU).  One the main point in the agreement is:

1.3.7 Acheh will enjoy direct and unhindered access to foreign countries, by sea and by air.

The MoU Accord ended the 3 decades of war between GAM and Indonesia.

The calamity that befallen Acheh today is worse than that because it devastated almost the whole of Acheh and  two other regions in North and West Sumatra. The impact is massive and unimaginable. It is not only a natural catastrophe but also caused by illegal deforestation. This is evident with piles of wood and debris brought down from the forest and highlands.

We have seen all over Acheh where tons and tons of wood along the coastline of Tamiang and other areas in Acheh. Villages and bridges washed by rapid streams of water together with thick mud as high as 1-3 metres, covering houses and even padi fields.

Although several Malaysian NGOs who are taking a brave and noble step distributing humanitarian aid to the victims, including local ngos, there are still many areas uncovered such as in Beutong Ateueh, West Acheh; Langkahan, North Acheh; Bener Meriah and Takengon, Central Acheh; and some parts of Tamiang (which is the worst hit). Only a few days ago, we received a report where 82 dead bodies were found buried in the thick mud in Tamiang. Many washed away vehicles also contained many dead victims that have yet to be retrieved.

The number of casualties as reported today is more than 1000 people killed, several thousands disappeared, more than a million displaced people living under extreme conditions under makeshift shelters and temporary relief posts. The number of deaths and victims in this aftermath are increasing by the day. The risk of an epidemic is imminent.

Without immediate assistance from the international community, both in distributing logistics, proper planning in reconstruction and reparation not only in the infrastructure but also in land and agricultural fields and education, more lives would be lost.

We believe that without the international assistance in reconstruction and rehabilitation as during and after the tsunami in 2004, it would take decades for Acheh to recover from this disaster. 

We respectfully request:

1. Emergency Relief Aid, including food, clean water, hygiene kits, medicine, and temporary shelter materials.

2. Technical and Logistical Support, particularly in areas of search and rescue, medical response, and disaster management coordination.

3. Long-Term Recovery Assistance to help rebuild damaged infrastructure, restore livelihoods, and strengthen future disaster preparedness.

Please act immediately in your best capacity to save the lives of Achehnese. 

We extend our esteem, gratitude and kindness.

We extend our esteem, gratitude and kindness beforehand
Member of GAM Negotiating MoU Helsinki Peace Talks
GAM Spokesperson

Bakhtiar Abdullah