Fact Check: Viral Video Claiming Israel and US Sent Aid to Sibolga is False

December 4, 2025 | 12:30 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A video showing a number of helicopters maneuvering circulated on TikTok [archive] on November 28, 2025. The uploader claimed that the footage showed the delivery of aid to flood victims in Sibolga City, North Sumatra.

The video highlights helicopters flying over settlements submerged up to the roofs of houses. Text in the video narrates that the United States and Israel are helping Sibolga residents trapped by the floods.

Is it true that the video shows Israeli and US aid operations in Sibolga City?

FACT CHECK

Tempo verified the video using Google image search and compared it with information from credible sources. The results show that the helicopter footage is not related to the delivery of aid to Sibolga.

Video/Image Verification

Frame 1

The image of a green helicopter in the third second is identical to a Getty Images upload. The Lockheed Martin US-101 medium transport helicopter is old documentation dated January 28, 2005. The activities of this fleet are not related to flood relief efforts in Sumatra at the end of November 2025.

Frame 2

The video shows three helicopters flying Israeli flags. This moment was captured during an air show at a pilot graduation ceremony at Hatzerim Air Base in the Negev Desert, southern Israel. The Antara news agency published photos of the event, which took place on December 22, 2021.

Frame 3

The image at the 6-minute mark relates to the flooding that occurred in Sibolga City and Central Tapanuli Regency (Tapteng), North Sumatra. The visual is the same as the publication on the iNews media site.

Foreign Aid and Logistical Challenges

As of December 3, 2025, Malaysia is the only foreign country that has sent aid for the floods and landslides in Sumatra. CNN Indonesia reported that the aid arrived at Sultan Iskandar Muda Airport, Aceh, on November 29, 2025. The Malaysian government sent a medical team and supplies of medicine worth 1 million ringgit.

The situation is different in North Sumatra. As of November 27, 2025, logistical aid had not yet reached the affected areas, including the city of Sibolga. North Sumatra Governor Bobby Nasution acknowledged that food distribution by land had come to a complete standstill due to blocked access roads.

This delay caused panic among residents. People affected by the disaster were forced to take rice and cooking oil directly from the local Bulog warehouse.

Regarding the total amount of aid, Tempo reported the Ministry of Social Affairs' claim that the central government had disbursed Rp25 billion as of Tuesday, December 2, 2025. This figure includes the cost of searching for missing victims and meeting the basic needs of refugees, but does not include donations from the private sector, communities, or friendly countries.

CONCLUSION

Tempo's verification concludes that the video's claim regarding the delivery of aid from Israel and the United States to flood victims in Sumatra at the end of November 2025 is false.

TEMPO FACT CHECK TEAM

**Do you have information or claims that you want to have fact-checked? Contact our ChatBot. You can also send criticism, objections, or feedback for this Fact-Checking article via email to [email protected]. 

Fact Check: Claim That Indonesia's Rice Self-Sufficiency Caused Global Price Drop is False

1 hari lalu

Fact Check: Claim That Malaysia Has No Rice Supply is Misleading

2 hari lalu

Fact Check: Claim That Indonesia Fires Missiles at Malaysia is False

3 hari lalu

TikTok Footnotes: What to Know About the Fact-Checking Feature

1 Agustus 2025

Authenticity Verification of Satryo Soemantri Brodjonegoro Alleged Voiceprint

25 Januari 2025

Meta Stop Fact Check Feature, Mark Zuckerberg's Reason: Too Biased and Damaging to Trust

9 Januari 2025