Desperation Grows as Citizens Raise Flags of Distress Due to Inadequate Flood Aid

Over recent weeks, frustrated and suffering inhabitants in the nation's westernmost region have been raising pale banners over the state's sluggish reaction to a succession of lethal floods.

Precipitated by a rare cyclone in November, the deluge killed in excess of 1,000 persons and made homeless hundreds of thousands more across the island of Sumatra. In Aceh province, the most severely affected region which accounted for nearly half of the casualties, a great number yet do not have easy availability to clean water, nourishment, power and medicine.

A Governor's Emotional Outburst

In a indication of just how challenging coping with the disaster has proven to be, the leader of a region in Aceh wept publicly in early December.

"Does the central government be unaware of [our plight]? I don't understand," a weeping Ismail A Jalil declared on camera.

However Leader Prabowo Subianto has rejected external aid, insisting the circumstances is "being handled." "The nation is capable of handling this disaster," he informed his ministers last week. Prabowo has also thus far overlooked demands to declare it a national disaster, which would release special funds and streamline recovery operations.

Increasing Scrutiny of the Administration

The current government has been increasingly viewed as slow to act, disorganised and detached – terms that some analysts say have become synonymous with his presidency, which he secured in last February on the back of populist promises.

Already in his first year, his flagship expensive free school meals initiative has been mired in scandal over large-scale contamination incidents. In the latter part of the year, thousands of people took to the streets over joblessness and rising living expenses, in what were some of the largest protests the nation has experienced in decades.

Currently, his government's response to November's floods has become a further problem for the president, despite the fact that his approval ratings have remained stable at approximately 78%.

Desperate Appeals for Assistance

Last Thursday, scores of activists gathered in the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, waving pale banners and insisting that the central government opens the path to foreign aid.

Among in the protesters was a little girl holding a piece of paper, which said: "I am just very young, I hope to grow up in a secure and healthy place."

Although typically seen as a sign for giving up, the pale banners that have been raised throughout the province – atop damaged rooftops, beside washed-away banks and near mosques – are a call for international unity, those involved say.

"These banners are not a sign of we are surrendering. They represent a SOS to capture the attention of the world internationally, to let them know the circumstances in here today are truly desperate," said one participant.

Whole villages have been destroyed, while broad damage to transport links and infrastructure has also cut off numerous areas. Victims have spoken of disease and starvation.

"How long more must we bathe in dirt and floodwaters," exclaimed another protester.

Local authorities have appealed to the United Nations for support, with the Aceh governor stating he accepts support "from anyone, anywhere".

Prabowo's administration has claimed recovery work are ongoing on a "countrywide basis", adding that it has disbursed some billions ($3.6bn) for reconstruction projects.

Calamity Strikes Again

For many in the province, the situation evokes difficult memories of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, one of the deadliest natural disasters in history.

A massive undersea earthquake caused a tsunami that triggered walls of water reaching 30m in height which hit the Indian Ocean shoreline that morning, killing an estimated a quarter of a million people in over a dozen countries.

The province, already ravaged by a long-running civil war, was part of the most severely affected. Locals state they had only recently completed rebuilding their homes when disaster struck again in last November.

Assistance came more promptly following the 2004 tsunami, even though it was far more catastrophic, they contend.

Many countries, global bodies like the World Bank, and private organisations directed significant resources into the rebuilding process. The Jakarta then set up a special body to coordinate money and aid projects.

"The international community acted and the community rebuilt {quickly|