Anger Mounts as Residents Raise White Flags Over Delayed Flood Relief

For weeks, frustrated and suffering inhabitants in Indonesia's westernmost province have been raising flags of surrender due to the state's delayed response to a wave of fatal deluges.

Precipitated by a uncommon cyclone in the month of November, the catastrophe claimed the lives of more than 1,000 people and forced out a vast number across the region of Sumatra. In Aceh province, the hardest-hit province which represented about 50% of the deaths, numerous people continue to do not have consistent access to potable water, supplies, power and medical supplies.

A Governor's Emotional Outburst

In a indication of just how difficult coping with the situation has become, the governor of a region in Aceh wept openly earlier this month.

"Does the central government be unaware of [our suffering]? I don't understand," a weeping the governor stated in front of cameras.

However President the nation's leader has rejected foreign aid, asserting the situation is "under control." "Indonesia is able of handling this disaster," he told his ministers in a recent meeting. The President has also thus far overlooked calls to designate it a national disaster, which would unlock disaster relief money and streamline relief efforts.

Mounting Scrutiny of the Government

The leadership has grown more scrutinised as unprepared, chaotic and out of touch – terms that certain observers argue have come to define his presidency, which he won in last February based on popular promises.

Already this year, his flagship billion-dollar school nutrition initiative has been mired in controversy over mass contamination incidents. In the latter part of the year, a great number of citizens took to the streets over joblessness and soaring costs of living, in what were some of the largest protests the country has witnessed in many years.

Presently, his administration's response to the recent floods has proven to be a further challenge for the president, even as his popularity have remained stable at about 78%.

Desperate Pleas for Aid

Recently, dozens of activists rallied in Banda Aceh, the city, holding pale banners and demanding that the national authorities allows the way to international aid.

Standing within the crowd was a small girl clutching a sheet of paper, which said: "I am just a toddler, I hope to grow up in a secure and stable environment."

While usually regarded as a emblem for capitulation, the pale banners that have been raised across the province – upon broken roofs, beside washed-away banks and outside places of worship – are a plea for international solidarity, protesters contend.

"The flags are not a sign of we are surrendering. They are a distress signal to capture the notice of the world outside, to show them the circumstances in here today are very bad," stated one protester.

Entire communities have been destroyed, while widespread destruction to roads and public works has also stranded a lot of people. Survivors have spoken of sickness and hunger.

"How long more should we wash ourselves in mud and contaminated water," cried another individual.

Regional authorities have appealed to the United Nations for support, with the Aceh governor declaring he accepts help "from all sources".

The government has stated recovery work are ongoing on a "national scale", noting that it has released approximately 60 trillion rupiah (a large amount) for reconstruction projects.

Tragedy Repeats Itself

For some in the province, the situation evokes difficult recollections of the 2004 tsunami, one of the most devastating catastrophes on record.

A massive undersea tremor caused a tidal wave that produced waves up to 100 feet high which struck the Indian Ocean shoreline that morning, killing an believed two hundred thirty thousand lives in more than a dozen nations.

Aceh, already devastated by a long-running strife, was one of the most severely affected. Locals say they had barely finished reconstructing their communities when disaster struck again in last November.

Relief arrived more quickly following the 2004 tsunami, despite the fact that it was much more devastating, they say.

Many nations, global bodies like the International Monetary Fund, and charities poured billions of dollars into the relief operation. The national authorities then set up a dedicated agency to coordinate finances and assistance programs.

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