Over 1,000 Dead, Aid Still Blocked: Amnesty Warns of Human Rights Risks in Sumatra Disaster

Amnesty warned that when national capacity is clearly insufficient — as shown by the failure to deliver logistics to isolated areas for weeks — refusing international assistance is no longer a matter of sovereignty, but a potential violation of human rights.

“Blocking access to life-saving aid for those in desperate need constitutes state negligence,” Hamid said.

The organization also urged the government not to repeat what it described as a “dark chapter” in history, referring to Myanmar’s military junta during Cyclone Nargis in 2008, when foreign aid was blocked on sovereignty grounds, resulting in tens of thousands of preventable deaths.

“Indonesia must not allow such a tragedy to happen again. When aid is delayed, closing the door to helping hands is inhumane,” Hamid said.

Amnesty further called on the government to ensure that assistance is distributed fairly and effectively, and that displaced communities immediately receive adequate shelter, food, clean water, and essential health services.

“The demand for the government to declare a National Disaster and open the door to international assistance is an urgent humanitarian call,” Hamid concluded. “The white flags in Aceh are an ultimatum from the people. The government must mobilize all available resources — domestic and global — to save lives.”

Growing Desperation on the Ground

Media reports over the past several days have documented residents in flood- and landslide-hit areas of Aceh raising white flags as a plea for help. Aceh Governor Muzakir Manaf described the gesture as an act of solidarity and a call for attention from both domestic and international communities.