Jakarta. All residents detained for looting shops and a state-run food warehouse in the flood-hit city of Sibolga, North Sumatra, have been released, acknowledging the desperate conditions that drove the incidents, National Police Chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo said Wednesday.

North Sumatra, as well as Aceh and West Sumatra, were hit by severe flooding on Nov. 26 and landslides cut off access to food and aid. “There is no one still being held. We have released them all,” Listyo told reporters in Jakarta.

He said police understood that most residents resorted to breaking into minimarkets and a Bulog logistics warehouse only to meet immediate survival needs. “They urgently needed food supplies, and all of them have now been released,” he added.

The looting took place in Sibolga city and neighboring Tapanuli Tengah district after long delays in the distribution of government relief. Videos circulating online showed residents forcing their way into the Bulog warehouse and carrying away rice, cooking oil, and sugar as supplies ran out in local markets.

The North Sumatra provincial government said the disruption occurred because major access routes were blocked by multiple landslides, preventing trucks carrying essential supplies from reaching affected areas. Deputy Governor Surya said authorities were rerouting deliveries through alternative roads such as Subulussalam and Sorkam, but only small box trucks could pass due to road damage.

“Logistics are sufficient at the provincial and national level. What we are struggling with is delivering them to the locations,” Surya said Sunday. He urged residents to remain patient as teams work to restore access and speed up deliveries.

Hundreds of residents were reported to have looted minimarkets and warehouses last weekend as food shortages deepened. Officials say emergency supplies are now approaching the disaster-hit zones and distribution is expected to stabilize as access improves.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) reported that the recent floods and landslides, triggered by Cyclone Senyar between November 19 and 28, have killed at least 770 people, left 463 missing, and displaced more than 746,000 residents. The disasters swept through North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh, destroying homes, infrastructure, and farmland.

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