[Indonesia] Day 2 of Distributing Emergency Relief Supplies to Flood Victims
2026-05-21
January 18, 2026. Today is the second day of distributing emergency relief supplies to people affected by the floods in Indonesia. After discussing the relief distribution plan, JTS Chairman Venerable Pomnyun and JTS Representative Park Jina headed to the village at 8:00 a.m.
As they approached the village, they could see the river that had overflowed during the previous flooding, terrifying the local residents. Pointing toward the river, Venerable Pomnyun said:
“Heavy rainfall caused the river to overflow and flood the village. The damage was particularly severe in areas where the river bends.”
The rain that fell last night quickly flooded the main access road to the village once again.
The place where we distributed relief supplies to the residents of Kurungbuka Village yesterday was also flooded. Seeing the village quickly become inundated, even though it had not rained particularly heavily, gave us a sense of the hardships the residents are facing.
Relief Distribution in Kubu Village
The first village where we planned to distribute relief supplies today was Kubu Village. The distribution had originally been scheduled for yesterday, but assembling the wheelbarrows took longer than expected, so we decided to distribute them this morning instead. After traveling by car for an hour, we arrived in Kubu Village at 9:00 a.m. One by one, villagers gathered at the mosque to receive the relief supplies. The villagers had apparently worked late into the night assembling the wheelbarrows yesterday. When the JTS team arrived, 200 wheelbarrows were neatly lined up, glistening in the morning sunlight. It was a moving sight.
“You’ve all worked so hard.”
Venerable Pomnyun encouraged the villagers and the activists from FDP (Forum Dakwah Perbatasan), the local partner organization. He then checked the preparations for the relief supplies to be distributed. The wheelbarrows, shovels, squeegees, hoes, and gloves—the five types of cleaning tools—as well as gas stoves, had all been properly prepared according to the number of households.
Next to the mosque was a tent where around 700 villagers were preparing meals together. A group of women had gathered there to cook. Because their homes were still filled with mud and they could not cook inside, the villagers were preparing meals together here and sharing their meals.
Venerable Pomnyun picked up a shovel and tried scooping out some of the mud.
“This shovel is very sturdy.”
Venerable Pomnyun then took one of the wheelbarrows to the area beside the mosque and personally used a shovel to scoop up mud and load it into the wheelbarrow, demonstrating how to move the mud.
“The wheelbarrow rolls very well, too. Since the houses are filled with mud, the villagers can use the shovels to scoop up the mud, load it into the wheelbarrows, and carry it outside. The villagers said this is what they need most.”
He emptied the mud from the wheelbarrow into a depression in the ground and leveled it out.
As the supplies were checked one by one, all the villagers gathered at the mosque. Venerable Pomnyun explained how JTS had brought the relief supplies to the village and expressed his hope that they would be of some help, even in a small way, in restoring the community after the disaster.
The Road Is Open Again, Bringing Us Back Together—Let Us Unite Our Hearts and Overcome This Disaster
“Assalamu alaikum!” (Peace be upon you!)
“Wa alaikum salam!” (And peace be upon you, too!)
“Everyone, it is good to meet you. You must have been very shocked when the severe flooding suddenly struck, weren’t you? I was also very surprised when I heard the news in Korea. JTS Representative Park Jina came here hoping to help you, but she was unable to reach the village because the road was blocked. So, she provided only emergency assistance near the main road accessible by vehicles, and then returned. Afterward, she told me, ‘The damage in the places we could not reach is very serious. Once the road is cleared, we should go and support those communities.’ So, when I heard that the road had been reopened, I decided to come and visit your village myself.”
Mud had piled up to waist height inside each house, and the residents had not yet been able to clear it out. Their farmland was also completely covered in mud. I felt that the most urgent task was to remove the mud from inside their homes. To do that, they needed shovels, wheelbarrows, and hoes. We also learned that, because the residents had lost their dishes and kitchen utensils, around 700 people had been gathering beside the mosque to prepare communal meals. With Ramadan approaching, they would need to start preparing meals in their own homes, but many households did not have gas stoves. So, we provided gas stoves for them as well.
“When I went to the rice fields, I saw that more than a meter of sand had accumulated, making it impossible to continue growing rice there. Going forward, you may need to plant cassava, potatoes, or other crops that can grow in sandy soil. We will continue discussing ways to help with FDP and support you as much as we can. Through this experience, I also learned, for the first time, that there is an organization like FDP in Aceh, bringing together so many good people. We will continue working with FDP to find ways to support you in the future.
“Your situation is very difficult right now. But I hope you can overcome these hardships with faith that Allah, whom you believe in, will not abandon you but will protect you. Although the supplies we are providing may be modest, I hope that all of you will find them useful. In particular, please give a big round of applause to the men who stayed up late last night assembling the wheelbarrows.”
All the villagers cheered, applauded loudly, and celebrated with joy.
The relief distribution then began. The FDP activists had distributed numbered tickets to each household in advance, so at the entrance, only those whose ticket number and name matched exactly were allowed to receive the relief supplies.
The villagers began lining up in a long queue according to their ticket numbers and entered one by one. Each person first received a wheelbarrow, then went around the mosque courtyard, collecting all of their relief supplies into the wheelbarrow before leaving.
“Here, push it like this.”
“Thank you.”
Fathers who came holding their children’s hands, elderly women who came on behalf of their families, and women wearing burqas—all kinds of villagers expressed their gratitude to Venerable Pomnyun and JTS supporters as they received the relief supplies.
Some of the men shook hands with Venerable Pomnyun to express their gratitude. As people continued reaching out to shake his hand, he removed one of his gloves and continued distributing the relief supplies.
“You are a good man!”
After receiving the wheelbarrows, the villagers moved on to receive gas stoves. Each time a gas stove was placed in a wheelbarrow, it made a satisfying “clunk” as it landed. Gloves were distributed next. The FDP activists distributing the supplies were happy, and the villagers receiving them were happy, too.
Next, shovels were distributed. A long line of villagers pushing their handcarts continued to move through the distribution area.
Next, squeegees were distributed, followed by hoes, which were placed on top of the other supplies.
The villagers left the mosque with their wheelbarrows loaded with gas stoves, gloves, hoes, shovels, and squeegees. Their faces were filled with bright smiles—a rare moment of joy amid the difficult circumstances.
As the sunlight grew stronger, Venerable Pomnyun was soon soaked in sweat. But seeing the villagers’ happy faces as they received their wheelbarrows naturally brought a smile to his face.
“Terima kasih.” (Thank you.)
The villagers repeatedly expressed their gratitude and were filled with joy. Within just one hour of beginning the distribution, relief supplies had been distributed to all 210 households. For those whose homes had been completely destroyed and who were living in temporary tents, cleaning tools were not needed, so only gas stoves were provided.
After distributing the 25 gas stoves, all of the prepared supplies had been completely used up. The number of supplies prepared matched exactly with the number of affected households that had been surveyed in advance.
“That’s the last one. Thank you all for your hard work!”
The children staying at the mosque, which was serving as their temporary shelter, greeted the Korean volunteers with bright smiles whenever they encountered them, repeatedly saying, “Annyeonghaseyo” (“Hello”), “Saranghamnida” (“We love you”), and “Unni, oppa” (“Big sister, big brother”).
As we were leaving the mosque after completing the relief distribution, a young woman who appeared to be a university student followed Venerable Pomnyun and handed him a letter. It had been carefully written in Korean.
We initially thought she knew Korean, but she explained that she had copied the Korean text while referring to a translation.
Your Support Has Given Us Hope to Rise Again
“Dear Venerable Pomnyun Sunim,
We are the residents of Kubu Village in Aceh, who have been facing great hardship following the recent floods. When we were feeling overwhelmed and deeply troubled, unsure of how to move forward after this sudden disaster, we were profoundly touched that you traveled such a long way to visit our village in person. Your warm smile and the helping hand you extended to us have given us great hope that we can rise again. Thank you so much for remembering us and coming to see us.
We will cherish the warmth and kindness you have shown us and do our best to overcome this difficult time. We sincerely wish that peace and happiness will fill every place your footsteps reach.
Please always stay healthy.
With heartfelt gratitude,
The Residents of Kubu Village, Aceh, Indonesia”
After calmly reading the letter written in Korean, Venerable Pomnyun said:
“Thank you. Since you don’t know Korean, you must have had to draw all these letters to write this many words.” (Laughter)
Pante Baro Kumbang Village
At 10:00 a.m., we left the mosque and drove for 15 minutes to Pante Baro Kumbang Village, the next relief distribution site. As in the previous village, FDP activists and residents were busy assembling the wheelbarrows.
Most of the parts needed to assemble the wheelbarrows had arrived, but the handles had not yet been delivered. After assessing the situation, JTS Representative Park Jina quickly began working to find a solution.
“When will the truck carrying the parts arrive?”
“It looks like it will arrive at 2:00 p.m.”
Since the missing parts had not arrived, the distribution could not take place at the scheduled time.
“Okay. Then let’s postpone the relief distribution until 4:00 p.m. If the handles arrive at 2:00 p.m., we’ll quickly finish assembling the wheelbarrows and begin the distribution at 4:00 p.m.”
“Yes, that’s possible.”
For the time being, we decided to withdraw and assess the situation further. While having lunch, JTS Representative Park Jina and the FDP activists continued discussing possible solutions.
The bigger problem was Sawang, the final relief distribution site. None of the wheelbarrow parts had arrived there yet. Although we checked several times, we were initially told that they would arrive at 5:00 p.m. However, each time we called, the estimated arrival time was pushed back further.
While we were considering how to respond, we received word that the truck carrying the supplies had arrived at Pante Baro Kumbang Village. We immediately headed back to the village.
We arrived at Pante Baro Kumbang Village at 4:00 p.m. and checked the preparations for the relief distribution. As soon as the handles arrived, the villagers and FDP activists worked diligently to finish assembling the wheelbarrows and had everything ready for the distribution. This village has 316 households, making it the largest of the communities included in this emergency relief effort. Once all the villagers had gathered, Venerable Pomnyun offered words of comfort and encouragement.
“Assalamu alaikum!”
“Wa alaikum salam!”
“When I heard that you had suffered such great losses from the floods and landslides, I was deeply saddened. When I came here myself last week, I saw that the houses were completely buried in mud, and that household belongings had been swept away, leaving you with almost nothing.
It seemed that you needed shovels, hoes, and wheelbarrows to remove the mud from your homes. I also heard that, because your household belongings had been lost, you were gathering at the mosque to cook and eat together.
So I wanted to provide gas stoves, dishes, and other kitchen utensils as well. However, we did not have enough time to prepare everything, so for this first round of emergency assistance, we were only able to provide gas stoves.”
“Although these are just small items, I hope they will help you clean up your homes. Going forward, I will continue discussing with FDP how we can best support you as you resume farming and rebuild your lives.
All of the FDP activists have regular jobs, yet so many of them have come here to volunteer and help. Many of the men from the village have also worked very hard to assemble the handcarts.
Although we are facing difficulties now, let us join forces and work together to overcome them. May Allah, whom you believe in, never abandon you but continue to watch over and protect you.”
Tears welled up in the eyes of Azhar, the FDP representative who was interpreting for Venerable Pomnyun. The villagers were also moved to tears.
The relief distribution then began. As the villagers received their wheelbarrows and brought them forward, Venerable Pomnyun first placed a gas stove into each wheelbarrow.
“Makasih.” (Thank you.)
Next, squeegees, gloves, shovels, and hoes were distributed one by one. Just as the wheelbarrows were filled with cleaning tools, the villagers’ hearts were filled with hope.
However, the villagers began entering more slowly. JTS Representative Park Jina went to find out what was causing the delay.
It turned out that the FDP activists were calling the villagers by name one at a time. It was taking time to locate each person after their name was called.
“The coupons distributed to the villagers have numbers on them, so let’s have the villagers line up in numerical order. That should help speed up the distribution.”
After JTS Representative Park Jina adjusted the distribution system, the process became much faster. A steady stream of villagers lined up to receive their relief supplies, with no break in the flow. The villagers heading home, pulling their handcarts, had bright smiles on their faces.
Because this village had a large number of households, the distribution took two hours to complete. By the end, Venerable Pomnyun was drenched in sweat from head to toe.
“It’s really hot today.”
After the distribution was completed, Venerable Pomnyun wiped the sweat from his face. A young man from the village brought him some fruit as a thoughtful gesture. He explained that the fruit, called “Bogiri Matang,” is grown locally in the area.
“Thank you so much for coming all the way from so far away to visit our village.”
After refreshing himself with the fruit, Venerable Pomnyun discussed with the FDP activists the relief distribution plan for the final village.
“It looks like they won’t arrive until after 7:00 p.m. All the bridges were destroyed by the floods, so a temporary bridge has been built, but it allows traffic in only one direction at a time. As a result, there is heavy traffic, and it’s difficult to predict when the supplies will reach the village.”
“Should we distribute the supplies tonight, even if it’s dark? Or should we distribute them early tomorrow morning and then head straight to Banda Aceh? You all have to go to work tomorrow.”
“Even if it gets late, it would be better to distribute the supplies tonight. If we finish the distribution and drive through the night, we can still make it to work tomorrow.”
“Okay! Then let’s head to Sawang Village now.”
All of the FDP activists were volunteers, so they had to go to work the following morning. Nevertheless, they were all prepared to stay up through the night to complete the relief distribution.
After taking a group photo together, we left Pante Baro Kumbang Village at 6:00 p.m. and headed toward Sawang Village.
