Frustration Builds as Residents Raise Flags of Distress Due to Slow Disaster Relief
Over recent weeks, angry and distressed inhabitants in the nation's westernmost region have been raising white flags due to the government's slow reaction to a series of deadly deluges.
Triggered by a rare cyclone in last November, the flooding killed more than 1,000 people and made homeless a vast number across the region of Sumatra island. In Aceh province, the hardest-hit area which accounted for nearly 50% of the deaths, numerous people still are without ready availability to potable water, food, electricity and medicine.
A Governor's Emotional Outburst
In a indication of just how difficult managing the crisis has proven to be, the governor of North Aceh became emotional openly in early December.
"Does the authorities in Jakarta ignore [our suffering]? I don't understand," a weeping the governor said publicly.
However Leader the nation's leader has declined foreign aid, insisting the circumstances is "being handled." "The nation is equipped of overcoming this crisis," he advised his cabinet last week. Prabowo has also thus far ignored demands to designate it a national emergency, which would unlock disaster relief money and expedite recovery operations.
Increasing Discontent of the Government
Prabowo's administration has grown more viewed as slow to act, chaotic and detached – terms that experts say have become synonymous with his time in office, which he won in last February on the back of populist commitments.
Already in his first year, his flagship billion-dollar free school meals programme has been embroiled in scandal over large-scale contamination incidents. In recent months, many thousands of people demonstrated over unemployment and rising costs of living, in what were some of the biggest protests the country has experienced in a generation.
And now, his administration's response to the recent deluge has proven to be yet another test for the official, even as his poll numbers have held steady at approximately 78%.
Desperate Pleas for Assistance
On a recent Thursday, dozens of activists assembled in Banda Aceh, the city, holding pale banners and insisting that the central government opens the door to international help.
Among in the gathering was a young child carrying a piece of paper, which read: "I am only a toddler, I want to grow up in a secure and stable environment."
Though normally seen as a sign for surrender, the white flags that have popped up across the region – upon broken rooftops, beside washed-away banks and near places of worship – are a plea for global solidarity, protesters say.
"These symbols do not mean we are giving in. They are a SOS to attract the focus of the world outside, to show them the conditions in here today are truly desperate," explained one protester.
Complete communities have been wiped out, while broad destruction to transport links and public works has also stranded many areas. Survivors have described disease and malnutrition.
"For how much longer should we cleanse in mud and the deluge," exclaimed one demonstrator.
Provincial authorities have appealed to the international body for help, with the local official stating he is open to support "from anyone, anywhere".
The government has claimed recovery work are under way on a "countrywide basis", stating that it has allocated some billions (a large amount) for reconstruction efforts.
Tragedy Returns
For many in the province, the plight evokes difficult recollections of the 2004 Indian Ocean devastating tidal wave, one of the worst natural disasters ever.
A magnitude 9.1 undersea tremor unleashed a tsunami that triggered waves as high as 30m in height which hit the Indian Ocean coastline that day, killing an approximate two hundred thirty thousand individuals in in excess of a dozen countries.
The province, already devastated by a long-running civil war, was part of the hardest-hit. Locals explain they had barely completed reconstructing their homes when disaster returned in November.
Relief arrived faster following the 2004 tsunami, although it was considerably more destructive, they argue.
Many countries, multilateral agencies like the World Bank, and private organisations directed billions of dollars into the rebuilding process. The Jakarta then created a specific agency to oversee money and assistance programs.
"Everyone took action and the community rebuilt {quickly|
