Child beggars seen in post-disaster Aceh raises concern over long-term mental health

MEDAN – More than a month after a hydrometeorological

disaster swept across northern Sumatra

in late November 2025, children can be seen begging on the roadside in Aceh, carrying empty cardboard boxes and seeking a helping hand from passers-by due to limited humanitarian aid.

One of the children, Bustaman, 12, said he was forced to beg to fulfil his daily needs.