Indonesian Residents Wave White Flags in Protest Over Slow Flood Aid

Fri Dec 26 2025 09:47:36 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In response to the government's lack of action following devastating floods in Aceh, Indonesian residents are raising white flags as a symbol of distress and a call for international assistance.

As anger mounts over the Indonesian government's sluggish response to recent catastrophic floods, residents in Aceh are raising white flags to signal for international aid. Over 1,000 people have died and many communities are still without clean water and medical supplies, despite protests culminating in emotional displays from local leaders. The president's refusal of foreign aid has led to growing dissatisfaction amidst calls for a more organized relief effort.

For weeks now, angry and distressed residents in Indonesia's westernmost province have been raising white flags over the state's slow response to a series of deadly floods.

Triggered by a rare cyclone in November, the deluge killed more than 1,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands across the island of Sumatra. In Aceh, the worst-hit province which accounted for nearly half of the deaths, many still do not have ready access to clean water, food, electricity and medical supplies.

In a sign of just how frustrating managing the crisis has become, the governor of North Aceh broke down publicly earlier this month. Does the central government not know [what we're experiencing]? I don't understand, a tearful Ismail A Jalil said in front of cameras.

But President Prabowo Subianto has refused foreign aid, insisting the situation is under control. Indonesia is capable of overcoming this disaster, he told his cabinet last week. Prabowo has also so far ignored calls to declare it a national disaster, which would unlock emergency funds and streamline relief efforts.

Last Thursday, dozens of protesters rallied in Aceh's capital, Banda Aceh, waving white flags and demanding that the central government opens the door to foreign aid. Standing among the crowd was a little girl holding a sheet of paper, which read: I am just three years old, I want to grow up in a safe and sustainable world.

Though typically seen as a symbol for surrender, the white flags that have popped up across the province – on broken rooftops, along eroded riverbanks and outside mosques – are a call for international solidarity, protesters say.

The flags do not mean we are giving in. They are a distress signal to grab the attention of friends outside, to let them know the conditions in Aceh today are very bad, Husnul Khawatinnissa, who was at the rally, tells the BBC.

Entire villages have been wiped out, while widespread damage to roads and infrastructure has also isolated many communities. Survivors have spoken of sickness and starvation.

Provincial authorities have reached out to the United Nations for support, with the Aceh governor declaring he welcomes help from anyone, anywhere. Prabowo's administration has said relief efforts are underway on a national scale, noting that it has disbursed some 60 trillion rupiah ($3.6bn) for reconstruction efforts.

For some in Aceh, the situation brings back painful memories of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, one of the worst natural disasters ever. The president's refusal to accept international aid is his way of asserting authority, said Vidhyandika Djati Perkasa, a senior politics researcher at Indonesia's Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

Critics say the government has little understanding of the situation on the ground. Some also accuse Prabowo of being insensitive toward flood victims by promoting the expansion of palm oil plantations - environmental groups say the deforestation caused by that has also worsened the floods.

Rindu Majalina said she initially thought herself fortunate to have survived the floods, but it turns out the post-disaster situation is even worse.

It has been very painful and miserable, she said. Everything has come to a complete standstill, from markets to schools to offices. My children don't know if they'll ever be able to go back to school.