Indonesia is confronting its deadliest natural disaster in more than two decades as floods and landslides ravage Sumatra, overwhelming local authorities and prompting scrutiny of how President Prabowo Subianto’s administration is managing the crisis.
Officials insist relief efforts have moved quickly, given how the scale of devastation demanded complex coordination, but critics and segments of the public argue the response has felt slow and at times tone-deaf, a perception analysts said could erode trust in the government.
The death toll from floods and landslides from a tropical cyclone that wreaked havoc in Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra provinces reached 961 on Monday, with 293 still missing and more than one million residents displaced. Aceh suffered the most fatalities with 389, followed by 338 in North Sumatra, and 234 in West Sumatra.
Even as the island reels from the disaster, another one struck on Tuesday. A magnitude 5.5 earthquake hit the west coast of North Sumatra.
Nearly two weeks after the cyclone, many residents in hard-hit areas are still looking for aid. Fears mount that residents will battle health crises, while limited resources could trigger social conflict.