Life near the rainforest isn’t getting any easier this season

 Junaidi wrote me that Robert called the Camat’s office (the subdistrict administration) in Simpang Jernih got an update from one of the sub-district officers about the extensive (and unusual) flooding in Simpang Jernih and Pante Kera villages (Aceh Timur):

“Jalan menuju Kecamatan Simpang jernih semakin parah, masyarakat harus mencangkul badan jalan untuk  dapat di lewati oleh kenderaan roda 2 dan roda 4 ( Mobil)

The main road to SPJ is more worse now, communities started repairing the road by themselves to make motorbike or car would pass (Photos courtesy of Robert, who's stuck right along with everyone else):

Curah hujan yang sangat tinggi  di SPJ untuk bulan Januari ini

Rainfall level is getting higher in this January.

Debit Air sungai semakin  tinggi  dan arus yang sangat kencang

The water level in the river is getting higher again and it flow very strong.

Rakit penyeberangan antara Desa Batu sumbang dan Desa pante kera putus di bawa arus sungai,

The raft is broken and it wire rope broken (disconnected) because of strong water flow in the river.

Rakit penyeberangan antara Desa Batu sumbang dan Desa pante kera putus di bawa arus sungai,

Again, the cocoa farm that in Pante Kera village that located close to the river was sat by flood water.

Saat ini masyarakat desa Pantekera tidak dapat melakukan akses ke simpang jernih, untuk penghubung antara Desa pante kera dan Simpang jernih masyarakat harus menumpang boat.

Currently, people in Pante Kera village could not cross to SPJ and they have to take boat.”

This last means: in order to leave the village to get supplies or medical needs met, the river crossing is the only way out—and there is no boat because the cable has broken and the water is too high.

 The floods extend all the way down to the border of Aceh Tamiang.  That is supposed to be a road.

Will this community ever get a break??