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Indonesia floods kill 804 on Sumatra island

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Some local governments warn of lack of funds and fuel

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Central government will support those in need, minister

says

JAKARTA, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Authorities battling floods

on Indonesia's island of Sumatra that killed 804 people this

week have appealed for more central government help to tackle

shortages of funds, food and fuel in relief efforts.

Cyclone-induced floods and landslides have left 634 missing

across the three provinces of West Sumatra, North Sumatra, and

Aceh, while local government officials said severed power and

road links blocked access to aid.

"People are getting sick," Teuku Raja Keumangan, an official

in Aceh, where floods have affected 25,000 people in the Nagan

Raya region, told news channel Kompas TV, adding that there was

no budget left for relief work.

In central Aceh, where 21 died and floods affected 54,000,

supplies of fuel and rice are dwindling, said its chief, Haili

Yoga, urging the central government to declare a national

emergency as public anger grows over victims cut off from help.

Indonesia's budget of 500 billion rupiah ($30 million) for

disaster relief is sufficient, presidential spokesperson

Prasetyo Hadi said on Wednesday, however, adding that the figure

could be increased if necessary.

The comments followed remarks to reporters this week by

President Prabowo Subianto, responding to a query about

declaring a national emergency, that the situation was improving

and current arrangements were enough.

WITH NO FRESH WATER, PEOPLE TURN TO MUDDY FLOODWATERS

Fuel supplies are also limited in Aceh's Pidie Jaya region,

said its chief Sibral Malasyi.

Residents of Aceh Tamiang are cleaning and drinking muddy

flood water for lack of fresh water, KompasTV added.

Jonathan Victor Rembeth, an official of the disaster

mitigation agency, said a national emergency could be called if

provincial governments declared their inability to respond to a

disaster, which they have not yet done.

Indonesia, where the floods have affected 3.3 million, with

576,000 evacuated, most recently declared a national emergency

for the COVID-19 pandemic.

The law provides for the president to declare a national

emergency, freeing up additional funds for relief and rescue.

On social media, Indonesians criticised the central

government for not declaring an emergency, besides citing cuts

to the budget for the disaster mitigation agency, which official

data shows was down 50% this year from the last.

Indonesia's home affairs minister, Tito Karnavian, said he

had asked regional governments in areas not affected by the

floods to donate unused funds to those affected, after they

warned they were running low.

The central government would support local authorities who

said they had "given up" on flood response work, Tito added on

Wednesday.

State energy firm Pertamina faces fuel

distribution challenges in "nearly all" the flood-affected

areas, its spokesperson Muhammad Baron said. The company is

seeking alternative routes, but delivery will take time.

Green groups blame deforestation and illegal logging for

worsening the disaster.

($1=16,625.0000 rupiah)