Responding to Cyclone Senyar: Safe Water for Disaster Survivors in Indonesia

Cyclone Storm Senyar caused more than 1,200 people to lose their lives and more than a million to be displaced from their homes.

With access routes cut off from every direction, families suddenly found themselves isolated, without electricity and safe drinking water. 

Belgia lives with his family in Tapanuli Tengah, a region in the North Sumatra province. Although he lived near a riverbank for many years, he’d never experienced flooding at this scale. Cyclone Senyar caused the river embankment to collapse, and water flowed into Belgia’s home, filling it with thick mud and making it uninhabitable for him and his family. 

In the aftermath of the disaster, many families in the area had no access to safe water. Belgia’s family resorted to digging holes near the riverbank to collect water for cooking and drinking—water that was dirty and contaminated.  

But thanks to you, our team in Indonesia was ready to respond. 

Your ongoing support equips Water Mission’s eight country programs throughout the year. When our teams around the world are efficiently equipped, they are pre-positioned to respond when disasters strike.  

In Indonesia, 15 staff members—some of whom have family on Sumatra—deployed immediately to the hardest-hit areas. Despite landslides, washed-out roads, and limited communication, our team reached the impacted areas quickly. 

Your support enabled us to implement nine water treatment systems throughout our response, serving more than 11,200 people and producing nearly 620,000 liters of safe, treated water. We also distributed 1,100 water containers to help families safely collect and store water and 1,000 hygiene kits benefiting 5,000 people. 

We installed safe water treatment systems and tap stands in strategic locations to optimize our impact and prioritize equitable access to safe water. Water access points were established at churches, mosques, and community shelters. 

Not only did we partner with local churches to provide safe water, but we also partnered with seven churches to provide spiritual and emotional tools for healing. Your generosity helped us host worship nights, counseling sessions, children’s activities, and trauma healing training. Alongside local churches and leaders, we helped create space for people to process their emotions from a biblical perspective.  

Having access to safe water makes a significant difference after such a traumatic, life-altering event. Belgia shared with our team that his family and other residents rely on the safe water from our water treatment system for their daily needs. 

Belgia also expressed his deep gratitude to God and to Water Mission for providing safe water and assistance after the storm. Thank you for helping restore hope, dignity, and stability for Belgia’s family and the people of Sumatra.