Arya News - A week after cyclone-induced floods and landslides hit three provinces in Sumatra, authorities are still scrambling to find those who are missing and to distribute aid, as several affected areas remain still cut off and awaiting necessary supplies.
JAKARTA – The government and various officials have come under fire over their poor response, insensitive remarks and performative visits amid the northern Sumatra floods and landslides, fueling public frustration about the crisis management by authorities.
Floods and landslides struck many parts of Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra after Tropical Cyclone Senyar, a rare storm forming in the Malacca Strait, hit Sumatra Island on Nov. 25. Thousands of homes and other buildings, as well as roads and bridges connecting regions across the three provinces, were destroyed.
At least 836 people had been killed and 518 others remained missing as of Thursday, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB). The largest number of fatalities was recorded in Aceh with 325 dead.
A week after the storm made its landfall in Sumatra, the government is still scrambling to find those missing and distribute aid, as several affected areas remain cut off and awaiting supplies from authorities.
One of these is Nagan Raya regency in Aceh, where nearly 8,500 people were displaced by floods and landslides hitting the area on Nov. 27.
Nagan Raya Regent Teuku Raja Keumangan noted that Beutong Ateuh Banggalang district in the regency, which has a population of 2,100, was still cut off as of Thursday, after flash floods destroyed roads and bridges leading to it. He called for assistance from the Aceh provincial administration and the central government to open access to the cut-off district.
“Our local capacity, both in terms of budget and equipment, is no longer sufficient to respond to the scale of emergency,” Keumangan said in a phone interview with The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
“Our people are suffering, and many remain completely isolated. We must act swiftly to prevent further loss of life,” he added.
Read also: Environmental degradation in spotlight in Sumatra floods
The BNPB had sent a truck of logistical assistance to Nagan Raya on Wednesday, according to spokesperson Abdul Muhari. In Aceh, authorities are trying to reach cut-off regions by helicopter or by sea.
“We’re reaching all affected regencies and cities. All of them are our priority because we need to fulfill the basic needs of affected people,” Abdul told the Post on Thursday.
Public policy expert Trubus Rahadiansyah slammed the government’s disaster response as “slow, uncoordinated and poorly prepared”. He noted local administrations appeared unprepared for the scale of the floods, while the central government struggled to coordinate relief and provide timely support.
The sluggish response had not yet aligned with the public’s expectations one week after the storm hit the regions, said disaster management expert Eko Teguh Paripurno from Yogyakarta’s National Development University (UPN) Veteran.
“It’s as if the public is saying, ‘We are in an emergency’, only to be responded to by authorities, ‘It’s not an emergency yet’,” Eko said. “This disconnect is what hinders rescue and aid efforts.”
Insensitive words
Fueling growing public frustration at the sluggish disaster mitigation are controversial and insensitive remarks made by several officials.
Among those criticized was BNPB chief Lt. Gen. Suharyanto, who downplayed the deadly floods and landslides by suggesting on Nov. 28 that the situation appeared alarming on social media, but less severe on the ground.
He later apologized for underestimating the scale of the damage during his visit to the affected South Tapanuli regency in North Sumatra, stressing the government would continue all necessary post-disaster response efforts, including delivering aid and logistics.
Public frustration has also been fueled by conflicting statements from different officials.
On Tuesday, National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) chief Air Vice Marshal Mohammad Syafii claimed to have received no reports of isolated areas with all affected regions now accessible by air or sea.
But Bukit Barisan Military Command chief Maj. Gen. Rio Firdianto said 20 to 30 locations in Central Tapanuli, North Sumatra, remain isolated, with roads between Tarutung and Sibolga still blocked.
The government’s handling of aid distribution has also drawn scrutiny after a video went viral showing survivors in North Tapanuli, North Sumatra, scrambling on the ground to collect rice that had burst out when police and military personnel dropped aid bags from a helicopter.
Meanwhile, Coordinating Food Minister Zulkifli Hasan faced an online backlash after posting a video on Instagram on Monday showing him carrying a sack of rice and shoveling mud in flood-affected areas in Padang, West Sumatra.
Netizens called the video a publicity stunt. They instead linked the recent disasters with Zulkifli’s past policies as forestry minister between 2009 and 2014, which are alleged to have weakened forest protection and increased the risk of floods and landslides.
Read also: Brimob officer finds mother’s remains during N. Sumatra flood rescue
The controversial remarks and gimmicks reflected either a lack of understanding of the officials’ responsibilities or miscommunication, expert Trubus said.
“Some officials appear more focused on political image than on helping victims, which diminishes public trust,” he said.
Amid growing calls for the government to declare a national state of emergency to expedite the disaster handling, Trubus suggested the central government has been cautious about declaring such a status due to potential financial implications, fearing that a higher alert status could trigger audits, legal scrutiny and international attention that might reflect poorly on the government.