Desperation Builds as Residents Raise Pale Banners Amid Slow Flood Relief

Over recent weeks, angry and distressed locals in the province of Aceh have been raising flags of surrender due to the government's sluggish reaction to a series of deadly floods.

Triggered by a uncommon storm in November, the flooding killed more than 1,000 persons and made homeless a vast number across the region of Sumatra. In Aceh province, the worst-hit province which accounted for about 50% of the deaths, numerous people still do not have easy access to clean water, supplies, power and medical supplies.

A Governor's Public Anguish

In a indication of just how frustrating handling the situation has proven to be, the head of North Aceh broke down in public earlier this month.

"Can the central government ignore [our suffering]? It's incomprehensible," a tearful Ismail A Jalil said publicly.

But President Prabowo Subianto has rejected international help, insisting the circumstances is "being handled." "The nation is equipped of overcoming this disaster," he informed his ministers last week. The President has also so far ignored demands to designate it a national emergency, which would free up emergency funds and expedite relief efforts.

Growing Discontent of the Administration

The current government has been increasingly scrutinised as slow to act, inefficient and detached – terms that certain observers say have come to define his time in office, which he won in last February on the back of people-focused promises.

Even this year, his signature billion-dollar free school meals initiative has been embroiled in controversy over mass food poisonings. In August and September, many thousands of Indonesians demonstrated over unemployment and rising costs of living, in what were the largest of the biggest protests the nation has seen in many years.

Currently, his government's response to the floods has become yet another problem for the president, despite the fact that his poll numbers have stayed high at approximately 78%.

Urgent Calls for Assistance

Last Thursday, dozens of activists rallied in Aceh's capital, the city, holding pale banners and demanding that the central government opens the path to foreign assistance.

Standing among the crowd was a little girl holding a piece of paper, which read: "I am only very young, I wish to live in a safe and healthy place."

Though typically regarded as a emblem for surrender, the white flags that have been raised across the province – on collapsed rooftops, beside washed-away riverbanks and near places of worship – are a call for international solidarity, protesters argue.

"These banners do not mean we are giving in. They serve as a cry for help to attract the notice of friends internationally, to inform them the conditions in here today are very bad," stated one local.

Whole settlements have been wiped out, while widespread destruction to transport links and public works has also cut off many areas. Victims have reported sickness and starvation.

"For how much longer should we bathe in mud and floodwaters," exclaimed another individual.

Provincial officials have appealed to the UN for help, with the Aceh governor declaring he welcomes help "from all sources".

National authorities has said aid operations are under way on a "large scale", adding that it has disbursed some 60 trillion rupiah ($3.6bn) for rebuilding work.

Calamity Returns

Among residents in Aceh, the circumstances brings back difficult recollections of the 2004 Indian Ocean devastating tidal wave, one of the worst catastrophes in history.

A massive undersea seismic event unleashed a tidal wave that triggered waves up to 30m in height which slammed into the Indian Ocean shoreline that day, taking an approximate 230,000 individuals in over a dozen countries.

Aceh, previously affected by a long-running conflict, was one of the worst-impacted. Survivors explain they had just finished reconstructing their communities when disaster returned in last November.

Relief came more quickly after the 2004 Indian Ocean disaster, even though it was much more devastating, they argue.

Various countries, international organizations like the International Monetary Fund, and charities directed billions of dollars into the rebuilding process. The Indonesian government then set up a dedicated office to oversee finances and aid projects.

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