InfoSAWIT, NORTH ACEH — Amid the wet, muddy expanse of a palm oil plantation, a young mother who recently gave birth has been forced to survive in a makeshift bivouac. Husniah (27), a resident of Dusun Kareng, Bukit Linteng Village, Langkahan District, lost her home when a flash flood devastated the area last weekend.

Husniah had given birth to her second daughter just weeks earlier. When the sudden torrent hit, her husband, Zakir Fuad (30), evacuated her using a wooden canoe to higher ground. Still physically weak, she had no chance to save any belongings.

“I only wore the clothes on my body when I fled. I couldn’t take anything because I was still in pain after giving birth,” she told InfoSAWIT, quote Metro TV, Thursday (4/12/2025).

Life in the simple shelter made of tarpaulin and wooden scraps has been increasingly difficult, especially for her 25-day-old baby. Husniah worries about red rashes appearing on her infant’s skin. Her breast milk supply has dropped significantly due to exhaustion and cold nighttime temperatures.

“At night, I shiver in this bivouac. Our house is completely destroyed and cannot be occupied,” she said softly.

She hopes the government will provide proper housing soon, as her family’s condition grows more alarming. “All I want now is for the government to help rebuild a house for us to live in,” she said.

Husniah’s story is not unique. Field data indicates that around 100 families — about 500 people — in Dusun Kareng have also been displaced due to the flash flood. They are now taking refuge in makeshift bivouacs built among palm trees using tarps, small logs, and whatever materials they can find. (T2)