Central Aceh District Head Haili Yoga said the aircraft is allowing responders to reach areas that remain inaccessible by land.
He added that residents in the Gayo highlands are grateful for the support and the intent behind the assistance.
The drone, roughly the size of a minibus, can carry between 170 and 260 kilograms per flight and travel up to 60 kilometers, enabling rapid delivery of essential goods.
Officials say the deployment is expected to ensure that all affected residents — including those in remote mountainsides — receive food, medicine, and other critical supplies.
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Central Aceh is among the districts hardest hit by the disaster, with roads and bridges severely damaged or swept away. With surface routes closed, relief operations are currently possible only by air.
According to Andalika, head of the Central Aceh Disaster Management Agency, about 75 percent of the district has been impacted by flash floods and landslides triggered by days of extreme rainfall.
He said seven sub-districts and 98 villages remain isolated, while twenty-three people have been confirmed dead and twenty-four others are still missing.
Authorities expect the cargo drone to speed the distribution of aid and strengthen ongoing recovery efforts in the hardest-hit communities.
Separately, President Prabowo Subianto ordered a nationwide response to the flash floods and landslides that have devastated three provinces in Sumatra, calling the situation a top national priority.
Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Pratikno said at a briefing at the Sumatra Disaster Aid Post in Jakarta that the president instructed the government to mobilize full national resources, including immediate disbursement of emergency funds and logistics.
Pratikno said all ministries and state agencies have been told to act with heightened urgency in responding to the disasters in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra following prolonged heavy rains.
The three provincial governments have declared emergency response status: November 28–December 11 for Aceh, November 27–December 10 for North Sumatra, and November 25–December 8 for West Sumatra.
According to the National Disaster Management Agency, as of December 4, the death toll had risen to 836, with 509 people still missing.
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Translator: Primayanti
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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