Deadly floods and landslides from Cyclone Senyar displace 570,000 in N. Sumatra; Capuchin friars shelter 200+ homeless while appealing for aid.
Newsroom (03/12/2025 Gaudium Press ) Friar Yoseph Norbert Sinaga, Provincial Superior of the Capuchin Friars in Sibolga, described a region still gripped by crisis days after Tropical Cyclone Senyar unleashed torrential rains across northern Sumatra. “The worst is over, but the emergency continues,” he told Fides News Agency. “Floods and landslides have swept away entire villages. Many people are homeless. Rescue teams are now trying to reach the displaced: for some it is possible, for others it is not, because the areas remain isolated.”
The cyclone has left a trail of destruction, claiming numerous lives, leaving others missing, affecting 1.5 million people, and forcing more than 570,000 from their homes. Entire communities in the Diocese of Sibolga have been cut off by severed roads and collapsed bridges.
In the midst of the catastrophe, the Capuchin Franciscan community – a presence in the region for over a century – has become a vital lifeline. With around 65 professed friars and more than 30 novices serving a Catholic population of roughly 200,000 in an area of three million mostly Muslim inhabitants, the friars swiftly mobilized to evacuate residents, distribute aid, and provide ongoing support.
The immediate challenges are stark. “Now we are suffering from the lack of water and electricity, but above all, the lack of drinking water is a serious problem,” Friar Sinaga said. “Even we, in the monasteries, don’t have water and must collect it from springs in the forest.”
At the Capuchin novitiate alone, more than 200 displaced persons – families, children, and elderly – have found temporary refuge within the monastery walls. “They live with us, and the friars try to offer not only food for their bodies, but also moral and spiritual comfort,” the provincial explained. Younger friars have been playing with the children, fostering moments of joy amid widespread hardship. “We don’t know how long they will stay with us, but we trust in Providence,” he added.
Looking beyond emergency relief, Friar Sinaga stressed the long road ahead. “There are thousands of people in the Sibolga territory who have lost everything; they are homeless. Soon we will have to help them resume a normal life, starting with rebuilding their homes.”
The Capuchins have issued an urgent appeal for solidarity to Franciscan communities across Indonesia – religious men and women as well as lay faithful – who are already responding with donations and assistance.
“Now our brothers and sisters need immediate help,” Friar Sinaga concluded. “Later, we will also try to help rebuild their homes.”
- Raju Hasmukh with files form Agenzia Fides
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