Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – Aceh Governor Muzakir Manaf has once again received international assistance to cope with the devastating floods and landslides in his region. On Monday night, Muzakir personally welcomed foreign aid in the form of basic necessities donated by the multinational energy company, Upland Resources.
He emphasized that Aceh is entirely open to international aid, whether it comes from foreign governments or the private sector, prioritizing humanitarian principles above all else.
"In principle, we are dealing with humanity. Whoever helps us, we accept it sincerely. Anyone, anywhere," Muzakir stated in a written statement on Tuesday, December 16, 2025.
Muzakir received the donation from Upland Resources at Sultan Iskandar Muda Airport in Aceh Besar. Upland, an oil and gas company based in the United Kingdom with operations in Malaysia and Indonesia, donated at least three truckloads of basic necessities set for immediate distribution to the most severely affected areas.
He confirmed that the Aceh government will direct the assistance to the areas suffering the most impact from the disaster. "The most urgent and severely affected regions include Aceh Tamiang, Aceh Timur, Aceh Utara, and Bireuen, as well as Takengon, Beutong, and Langsa," said the former commander of the Free Aceh Movement.
Datuk Bolhassan Di, Chair & CEO of Upland Resources, explained that the aid was the result of an internal fundraising effort across the three countries where Upland operates. "Alhamdulillah, our company, Upland in the UK, Indonesia, and Malaysia, was able to raise funds amounting to Rp777 million," he said.
These funds were used to procure basic necessities from local suppliers in Aceh. "We were assisted by teams here to provide local goods and help distribute them to locations directly directed by the Governor," Datuk Bolhassan said, as quoted by the Aceh Provincial Government's Public Relations.
Aceh is one of the provinces affected by the floods and landslides that struck Sumatra following Tropical Cyclone Senyar in late November. The disaster claimed at least a thousand lives across three provinces: Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.
Contrast in stance on foreign aid
The Aceh Governor's stance on foreign assistance contrasts with that of President Prabowo Subianto. President Prabowo previously stated that several foreign leaders had contacted him offering aid for the Sumatra disaster. While expressing gratitude for the concern, Prabowo maintained that the Indonesian government was fully capable of managing the crisis internally.
"I have been called by many heads of state who want to send aid. I said thank you for your concern, we are capable. Indonesia is capable of handling this," he said during a cabinet meeting at the State Palace in Central Jakarta on Monday, December 15, 2025.
Prabowo also addressed groups pushing for the declaration of the Sumatra situation as a national disaster. He asserted that the government had already deployed comprehensive aid across the three affected provinces, emphasizing that the situation was under control. "Some are shouting to declare this a national disaster. We have deployed this to three provinces out of 38 provinces. So, the situation is under control. I constantly monitor it," he concluded.
– Hendrik Yaputra contributed to the report
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2073835/aceh-governor-accepts-more-foreign-aid-despite-prabowos-stanc