Natural disasters are misfortunes that can strike at any time, anywhere, and in various forms. As we all understand, these events can be triggered by human negligence in maintaining ecosystems or by unstable meteorological and geophysical conditions.

Beyond causing significant loss of life and damage to facilities—which can reach figures ranging from hundreds of billions to trillions of Rupiah—natural disasters inherently leave lasting psychological scars on survivors, serving as a traumatic historical record of the event.

Friends of UNDIRA certainly remember one of the largest disasters to ever strike the Sumatra region in 2004: the Aceh Earthquake and Tsunami. That catastrophe claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, destroyed countless facilities, and left a legacy that remains etched in the memories of the people of Aceh and the international community to this day.

Recently, at around the end of November 2025, Indonesia grieved once again following news of a natural disaster striking the people of Sumatra. Flash floods and landslides, accompanied by debris carried consisting of wood and trees, occurred and significantly impacted the majority of families and communities in Sumatra, specifically in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra. As per-05 December 2025, it is estimated that approximately 3.3 million residents felt the impact; over 893 souls have returned to the Almighty, 521 unspecified lost people, and 4.200 wounded people.

Furthermore, other losses include the destruction of tens of thousands of public facilities and infrastructure, as well as massive damage to the ecosystems that support biodiversity. According to several sources, this tragedy was exacerbated by deforestation and land clearing.

This disaster severed access to major parts of Sumatra, making it difficult for communities to receive aid or evacuate from affected areas. Many private properties suffered light to severe damage, and instances of looting occurred due to the desperate struggle to obtain basic necessities amidst the difficult conditions at the disaster sites.

Responding to the calamity that has befallen the people of Sumatra, Dian Nusantara University (UNDIRA) hope joins hands with the UNDIRA friends and the general public in a humanitarian call to action. We invite everyone to demonstrate real solidarity through donations and whatever else you, the readers, can contribute to our brothers and sisters in Sumatra.

The events befalling the people of Sumatra stand as evidence of Rob Nixon’s (Princeton University) theory of "Slow Violence." This concept highlights human indifference toward environmental preservation, which gradually destroys the obligations we owe to nature, even as nature continues to provide resources to us.

Together, remain confident that we can get through this crisis; there will be better days to come. Let us make this disaster a moral reflection on how we—humanity—should not act solely based on the logic of profit. Instead, we must employ our conscience to create better synergy with our fellow human beings and the natural world around us.