Indonesia: Authorities say there have been cases of looting in districts in Aceh and North Sumatra, according to local media reports, adding that residents in flood-hit areas are breaking into stores and warehouses in search of food and other supplies.
Some have blamed the looting on tardy aid distribution by the government. Public anger has been simmering against what critics described as ill-prepared disaster response from authorities.
Suharyanto, the head of the national disaster management agency, said some people had also tried to take aid items before they were distributed – acknowledging that they were likely driven by desperation rather than ill intentions, local news outlet Tempo reported.
A resident told the Jakarta Post that people were stealing basic necessities amid a lack of updates on aid delivery.
“[Residents] didn’t know that aid would come and were worried they would starve,” a police spokesperson told the Associated Press, adding that police were sent in to restore order.
Some residents in Aceh say they have not eaten in days
Many people in Aceh province have still not received food aid, with some saying they haven’t eaten for two to three days.
People are also having trouble accessing clean water because mud has submerged wells.
Despite floodwaters of 2-3m receding from some areas in Pidie Jaya and Bireuen Regency, large amounts of mud and wood have been left behind inside homes.
Death toll rises to 502
The death toll for the floods in Indonesia has risen to 502, according to the national disaster management agency.
Another 508 are missing, and some 2,500 people have been injured.
Online lessons for students affected by floods
The Agam district government in West Sumatra has extended remote learning by another three days, for schools located in disaster-affected areas.
Students first started online classes last Wednesday, 26 November.
Widiriyani, a teacher at a junior high school, said in-person classes were supposed to resume today.
But because the roads are still slippery and at risk of further landslides, teachers and students were told not to come to school yet.
“The problem is, remote learning isn’t possible either because electricity and internet connections are still down,” Widiriyani said.
She added that several of her students still cannot be reached.
LATEST ON INDONESIA
- More than 400 people have died and hundreds have been left injured after Cyclone Senyar caused catastrophic landslides and floods in Indonesia
- Rescue workers are racing to reach some areas of the hardest hit island of Sumatra, where thousands have been cut off and left without critical supplies
- Many people in Aceh province have still not received food aid, with some saying they haven’t eaten for two to three days
- Major roads across West Sumatra have been cut off by landslides and collapsed bridges, leaving multiple areas isolated
- President Prabowo Subianto is visiting flood-affected areas in North Sumatra – one of the worst affected areas
- His visit comes amid rising criticism, with civil society groups urging the central government to declare a state of emergency in Sumatra to facilitate relief efforts
In photos: Before and after the floods
We’re bringing you more images showing the damage that floods have wreaked in Indonesia’s provinces.
Volunteers distribute aid on foot
In the flood-hit city of Bukittinggi, in Sumatra, volunteers are helping distribute aid to residents in districts affected by floods and landslides.
Generators and fuel are prioritised so residents can get electricity. Volunteers are also handing out clothes and food.
With roads cut off and inaccessible to vehicles, volunteers have been transporting aid on foot and on motorcycles.
Meanwhile in Padang city, West Sumatra, resident Novi Fani Rofika tells me that logs, carried by floods and landslides, have piled up along the city’s coastline.
“Thousands of them, just washed up everywhere. They’re logs, proper logs. From small ones to pieces as wide as an adult’s waist,” she said, adding that it’s unclear where they might have come from.
Novi, who lives near the coast, said fishers still cannot go out to sea because the water remains heavily polluted.
“The color is already the same as the river water, yellow and murky.”
Indonesian government faces criticism for disaster response
As large swathes of Indonesia are still reeling from the floods, public anger is simmering over the government’s disaster response.
Critics say that authorities were ill-prepared for the floods. Some have blamed bureaucratic red tape for slowing down the distribution of food aid.
Indonesia is prone to many natural disasters, from volcanic eruptions to earthquakes and tsunamis. The recent floods were cause by a rare cyclone that had formed over the Malacca Strait.
Nearly 300,000 people have been displaced by the floods, and at least 442 people have died.
Civil society groups are urging the central government to declare a state of emergency in Sumatra to facilitate relief efforts. But authorities have not given in to these calls, saying last week that they would keep assessing the situation.
‘It’s been five days with no signal’
I’m on the ground in Aceh province, one of the worst-hit areas.
In Central Aceh Regency, 50-year-old Mar is at the regent’s office trying to contact her mother. She has not been able to reach her since 24 November, before the disaster struck.
The floods and landslides affected her family’s community in Banda Aceh, the province’s capital. Local authorities have provided Starlink devices to help residents reach their relatives – but they’re not guaranteed a turn.
“It’s been five days with no signal. We’ve been waiting since yesterday in case the network comes back. I’m planning to call my mom in Banda Aceh, but until now I still can’t reach her,” Mar told the BBC yesterday.
As of last night, thousands were still queueing outside the complex, including students who wanted to submit school papers via email and those who simply want to charge their devices.
How my family members survived the flood
published at 06:57
06:57
Haryo Wirawan is a journalist from BBC Indonesian based in Jakarta. His wife’s hometown is Sibolga, one of the areas worst affected by the floods and landslides in North Sumatra.
When the floods struck on 25 November, Haryo lost contact with his wife’s family. He only managed to regain contact yesterday. This is his story:
At around 07:00 on 25 November, water began entering the family home in Batu Harimau, rising to knee height.
My sister-in-law, and my mother-in-law decided to evacuate. They tried to leave on a motorcycle, but it broke down as they drove through knee-high waters. They eventually had to walk, pushing the motorbike for about two kilometres to our aunt’s house in the Sibuluan area.
When they arrived, panic spread after receiving news that the sluice gate of the nearby hydropower dam would be opened.
Together with our aunt, they moved to a stilt house and stacked tables to create a raised platform where they could stay through the night. The following morning, once the water began to recede, they finally returned to our aunt’s house.
Indonesian president Prabowo visits disaster site
President Prabowo Subianto is paying a visit to flood-affected residents, as they grapple with the aftermath of the devastating floods.
He arrived in Central Tapanuli Regency, North Sumatra Province, this morning and visited relief sites like a public kitchen and evacuation posts for displaced residents, according to a statement from the presidential press office.
More than 200 people have died as a result of the floods in North Sumatra, while another 200 remain missing.
SOURCE: BBC NEWS
