Post-Flood Sanitation Education and Food Support to Prevent Disease in Reuloh Village, Aceh Besar

Abstract

This community service activity was conducted in Reuloh Village, Aceh Besar, after severe floods in November 2025 that damaged houses, contaminated water sources, and increased the risk of waterborne and hygiene-related diseases. The program aimed to strengthen residents’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding sanitation and environmental cleanliness to prevent post-flood illness, while providing basic food support to affected households. Using a service-learning approach, lecturers and students from the Department of Development Economics, Universitas Syiah Kuala, conducted interactive educational sessions on safe water treatment, household sanitation, and personal hygiene, accompanied by the distribution of food packages. The results showed an increase in knowledge scores, high levels of participant satisfaction, and strong self-reported intentions to apply recommended practices at home. Early signs of behavior change were observed in the form of joint clean-up initiatives and commitments to boil drinking water. The activity indicates that short, targeted education on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), integrated with social support, can contribute to post-disaster disease prevention and enhance community resilience in flood-prone areas.