Aceh floods are a disaster, but government delays declaring a “national disaster”

The floods meet all the criteria to be considered a catastrophe: millions of people affected, significant damage to property and infrastructure, and insufficient local capacity. But the central government is suspending its decision. The declaration is not just a formality, but responds to pre-established criteria. The provincial government of Aceh is evaluating a request for aid from the UN.

Banda Aceh (AsiaNews) - Hundreds of areas affected and dead, thousands injured, hundreds of thousands displaced: the devastating floods in Indonesia have reached dimensions comparable to the tragedy of the tsunami of December 2004 that struck part of the Asian continent. In the province of Aceh, the toll of damage and casualties is constantly being updated, while the government delays in declaring a ‘national disaster’. A measure, explains a legal expert, that is not just a formal matter, an ‘administrative label’, but becomes essential to respond to the emergency and allocate aid.

Meanwhile, to deal with an emergency that has gone from being environmental to humanitarian, the provincial government of Aceh is considering asking United Nations agencies for assistance in helping survivors in Sumatra. This decision may prove necessary, especially given the delays by the central authorities in Jakarta. Yesterday, initial contacts were made with UN agencies, starting with UNICEF and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), while frustration is growing among relatives of victims and survivors. According to some estimates, up to 3.2 million people have been affected, with widespread flooding inundating entire communities and damaging critical infrastructure. Observers and experts say that a formal national disaster declaration would allow Indonesia to receive direct international assistance and improve the coordination of large-scale humanitarian operations.

Below an Indonesian lawyer analyzes the disaster and its legal implications for AsiaNews:

The floods in Aceh have caused extensive damage and affected a significant number of people. According to official data provided by the Aceh government, 225 sub-districts and 3,678 villages have been affected, impacting nearly two million residents. Public infrastructure has suffered severe damage: schools, community health centres, government offices and places of worship have been rendered unusable. Hundreds of roads and bridges were damaged, while material losses included 164,906 houses, 186,868 head of livestock, 89,286 hectares of rice fields, 14,725 hectares of vegetable gardens and 40,328 hectares of fish nurseries. The human toll is also significant, with 419 dead, 32 missing, 3,845 slightly injured, 479 seriously injured and 484,944 displaced. These figures indicate a disaster that clearly exceeds the capacity of local authorities to manage independently.

Indonesian Law No. 24 of 2007 on disaster management sets out the criteria for declaring a national disaster: widespread impact, significant casualties and material losses, inadequate local capacity and the need for central assistance. In the case of the Aceh floods, all these criteria are met. Provincial and district budgets are insufficient to finance reconstruction efforts, making a national-scale response necessary.

Despite the objective criteria being met, government authorities have not yet declared a national disaster. Formal requests from governors or district heads, recommendations from the National Disaster Management Authority (BNPB) and ministerial assessments should form the basis for an official decision. However, no decision has been taken so far, leaving the coordination and distribution of aid to the discretion of the provincial authorities.

Declaring a national disaster is more than just an administrative label. Such a decision determines the allocation of funds from the national treasury, coordination between different ministries, and access to international aid. The impact of the floods in Aceh affects several districts and sectors, making a national response logical and urgent.

The gap between the reality on the ground and the political decision-making process raises serious questions about the national bureaucracy's ability to respond to concrete evidence. Although the government emphasises the importance of preparedness and rapid response, in this case, the formal status that would allow for the effective allocation of resources has not been issued. This is not a matter of dramatisation, but of a clear discrepancy between objective data and administrative action.

The floods in Aceh also highlight structural vulnerabilities in the country's disaster management. Victims face logistical difficulties, limited health services and disruption to education. The absence of a national disaster status delays the distribution of aid, complicates coordination between agencies and limits the resources available. The legal mechanisms are already in place: Law No. 24 of 2007 on disaster management and BNPB guidelines clearly outline the measures to be taken when the criteria are met.

In conclusion, the floods in Aceh effectively meet all the criteria to be considered a national disaster: millions of people affected, significant damage to property and infrastructure, and insufficient local capacity. The only outstanding element is a formal decision by the central government. Declaring a state of national disaster is not a matter of opinion, but of compliance with pre-established criteria and the need for a coordinated national response.

The question is simple: if the criteria are clear, the victims are real and the losses are measurable, what else is needed before declaring a state of national disaster? Objective data should be the basis for decision-making, not prolonged administrative delays. Failure to take timely action leaves millions of residents to suffer the consequences in the near future, not just numbers on paper. In other words, formal recognition is not just an administrative matter, but a concrete action to ensure an effective response and save lives. The floods in Aceh require an immediate decision that cannot be postponed.

(With the collaboration of Mathias Hariyadi)

*Analyst and academic expert in public policy, alumnus of the Faculty of Law, Syiah Kuala University (Usk) in Banda Aceh