Indonesian government resists growing pressure to declare state of emergency after floods
The death toll caused by the floods that hit the large island of Sumatra, in Indonesia, exceeded 800, the Indonesian National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) announced today.
Authorities previously indicated that 631 people had died.
According to BNPB, the latest toll is 804 dead, more than 650 people missing and hundreds of thousands of residents evacuated from their homes on the island of Sumatra, in western Indonesia.
Despite more than 800 deaths, thousands of injuries and massive destruction in Sumatra, the Indonesian government is resisting growing pressure to declare a state of emergency following the floods.
The country only took this measure three times, according to available records: during the 1992 earthquake and tsunami, the 2004 tsunami that killed tens of thousands of people and during the covid-19 pandemic.
Calls are growing for the Government to declare a state of emergency, with supporters arguing that such a measure would free up resources and improve the coordination of humanitarian aid.
The government of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has so far insisted that the country has the necessary resources to deal with the situation.
This situation contrasts with that in Sri Lanka where a state of emergency was declared and help was requested from the international community to deal with the effects of the floods.
Amnesty International (AI) Indonesia believes the decision to declare a state of emergency is urgently needed “so that national and international forces can be mobilized to help the victims”.
Authorities warned that the destruction caused by the rains was due to the large amount of water that fell over a prolonged period, causing rivers to overflow.
