Frustration Grows as Indonesians Raise Pale Banners Due to Inadequate Disaster Assistance

For weeks, desperate and upset inhabitants in the province of Aceh have been displaying pale banners over the state's sluggish response to a succession of fatal deluges.

Caused by a unusual weather system in the month of November, the deluge resulted in the death of over 1,000 people and made homeless a vast number across the region of Sumatra. In Aceh, the most severely affected province which was responsible for almost half of the casualties, many still are without ready availability to potable water, food, power and medicine.

An Official's Visible Anguish

In a indication of just how difficult coping with the situation has become, the leader of North Aceh wept openly in early December.

"Does the national government not know [our suffering]? I don't understand," a emotional Ismail A Jalil said in front of cameras.

But President the President has declined international assistance, insisting the situation is "under control." "The nation is equipped of managing this calamity," he told his government last week. The President has also to date ignored demands to declare it a national disaster, which would unlock emergency funds and expedite relief efforts.

Increasing Scrutiny of the Government

The current government has increasingly been criticised as slow to act, chaotic and detached – descriptions that certain observers contend have come to characterise his tenure, which he was elected to in last February riding a wave of people-focused pledges.

Even recently, his flagship multi-billion dollar school nutrition programme has been embroiled in scandal over mass food poisonings. In the latter part of the year, many thousands of Indonesians demonstrated over unemployment and rising costs of living, in what were among the biggest demonstrations the nation has experienced in many years.

And now, his administration's response to the recent deluge has emerged as another test for the leader, even as his poll numbers have held steady at approximately 78%.

Urgent Pleas for Aid

Last Thursday, scores of protesters rallied in Banda Aceh, the city, waving pale banners and insisting that the government in Jakarta permits the door to foreign assistance.

Standing within the gathering was a little girl carrying a piece of paper, which stated: "I'm only three years old, I hope to mature in a secure and sustainable world."

Although typically regarded as a emblem for giving up, the white flags that have popped up throughout the region – atop damaged roofs, next to eroded banks and near mosques – are a plea for global solidarity, protesters contend.

"These banners do not signify we are admitting defeat. They represent a cry for help to attract the attention of friends internationally, to show them the conditions in here now are very bad," stated one protester.

Complete villages have been wiped out, while broad damage to transport links and infrastructure has also isolated many areas. Survivors have reported disease and hunger.

"How much longer do we have to wash ourselves in dirt and the deluge," exclaimed one individual.

Provincial officials have appealed to the UN for help, with the provincial leader declaring he is open to help "without conditions".

The government has said aid operations are ongoing on a "countrywide basis", adding that it has released about billions (a large amount) for rebuilding efforts.

Disaster Strikes Again

For some in the province, the plight recalls difficult recollections of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, one of the most devastating natural disasters in history.

A magnitude 9.1 ocean seismic event caused a tsunami that produced waves reaching 30m high which slammed into the ocean coastline that morning, claiming an approximate 230,000 lives in over a score nations.

The province, previously affected by a long-running civil war, was among the hardest-hit. Locals state they had only recently finished reconstructing their homes when disaster struck again in last November.

Relief was delivered more promptly after the 2004 Indian Ocean disaster, despite the fact that it was considerably more devastating, they argue.

Numerous countries, multilateral agencies like the World Bank, and private organisations directed vast sums into the recovery effort. The Jakarta then established a special office to coordinate funds and reconstruction work.

"All parties acted and the community rebuilt {quickly|