As part of its Humanitarian Action for Flood Victims in Sumatra, Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara (UMSU) delivered aid to residents of Pantai Cermin Village, Tanjungpura Subdistrict, Langkat Regency. The assistance, consisting of basic necessities, was officially handed over by UMSU Rector Prof. Dr. Agussani, MAP, represented by Vice Rector II Prof. Dr. Akrim, M.Pd and Vice Rector III Dr. Rudianto, M.Si, to Yahya, Head of Wampu Hamlet, Pantai Cermin Village, and Arziali Anwar, Chair of the Tanjungpura Muhammadiyah Branch Leadership (PC Muhammadiyah).
“Thank you to UMSU for providing assistance to flood-affected residents of Pantai Cermin Village, which has been isolated for several days due to the disruption of transportation routes,” said Arziali.
The UMSU Disaster Relief Action Team was forced to use fishermen’s boats to transport the aid, as the two flood-affected villages could not be accessed by motor vehicles. Floodwaters still inundated the area, reaching chest height for adults.
Since the flooding began on Thursday (27/11), residents of Pantai Cermin Village have struggled to receive assistance because road access to residential areas was cut off. Much of the aid had only reached Pekan Tanjungpura Village.
Vice Rector II Prof. Dr. Akrim, M.Pd and Vice Rector III Dr. Rudianto, M.Si explained that the assistance for disaster victims is part of the university’s commitment to helping communities facing difficulties due to floods and landslides in Sumatra. They hoped the contributions would help ease the burden of affected residents.
In addition to distributing basic necessities, UMSU also provided cash assistance amounting to IDR 25 million through the Muhammadiyah Disaster Relief Post of Langkat Regency.
Similar assistance has also been delivered by UMSU to Serdang Bedagai Regency, Sibolga, and Central Tapanuli. Some aid was handed over directly in the form of basic necessities, while cash assistance ranging from IDR 25 million to IDR 50 million was distributed through local Muhammadiyah Regional Leaderships that established disaster relief posts in affected areas.
“UMSU has also adopted a policy of providing scholarships in the form of tuition fee reductions for students affected by the disaster,” said Vice Rector II Prof. Akrim.
Meanwhile, a representative of the village residents expressed gratitude for the assistance provided by UMSU, noting that residents were experiencing significant difficulties in meeting daily needs due to severed access routes.
Several days after the flooding, water levels in the village showed no signs of receding due to tidal flooding (rob). Kampung Lalang Village and Pantai Cermin Village in Tanjungpura Subdistrict are located near the coast, causing floodwaters to remain high because of neap tides.
“This neap tide condition can last up to a week,” said Yahya, Head of Wampu Hamlet, Pantai Cermin Village.
