The country has only made the declaration three times in recent memory: for a 1992 earthquake and tsunami, the 2004 tsunami that killed tens of thousands, and during the Covid pandemic.
But there are mounting calls to use it again for the flooding and landslides that have killed at least 800 people across three provinces in Sumatra.
Those in favour argue the decision would free up resources and help coordinate the response.
But analysts said the government may fear a declaration could spook investors or suggest it was not up to the task of responding to the disaster.
"This disaster's impact on infrastructure is more severe than the tsunami" of 2004, said Teuku Abdul Khalid, a lawmaker from Aceh, among the worst-affected regions.
"From the beginning, I have stated that it should be declared a national disaster."
Other local lawmakers have also backed the designation, warning they are overwhelmed and the infrastructure damage is complicating relief efforts.
Pressure has also come from civil society groups, with Amnesty International Indonesia saying the declaration was urgently needed "so that domestic and foreign forces can be mobilised to help the victims".
President Prabowo Subianto's government has so far insisted it is already well-equipped to deal with the situation.
And unlike his counterpart in Sri Lanka, which was also ravaged by floods last week, Prabowo has not sought international assistance.
In Sri Lanka, however, the entire country has been affected.
- 'No aid' -
The head of Indonesia's disaster agency, Suharyanto, who uses a single name, defended the policy last week, insisting the disaster was at "the provincial level".
"The president has mobilised extensive aid, the military has deployed a significant amount of defence equipment, and the disaster agency has activated all available resources," he said.
Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said the disaster agency had "sufficient" funds, and more would be made available if needed.
Military helicopters and ships have arrived in Sumatra bringing some of the 34,000 tons of rice and 6.8 million litres of cooking oil the government has set prepared for survivors.
At a shelter in Nisam in Northern Aceh however, Eli Ani told AFP there was little sign of aid so far.
"No aid has reached our village at all," said the 46-year-old, whose home is inundated with mud left behind by receding floodwater.
"Residents are surviving by eating bread, drinking water, and eating instant noodles, managing on their own. We haven't received any assistance from anyone."
"Even if we try to buy food to survive, there are no supplies... And if available, they are sometimes very expensive," she added.
- 'Cautious' government -
Aid workers have said the relief effort is exceptionally challenging, even for a country as experienced with natural disasters as Indonesia.
Floodwaters washed away bridges and destroyed roads, leaving many areas effectively isolated.
Fuel is in short supply, and electricity and telecommunications are out or patchy in much of the affected area.
Even in places that were not hit directly, residents told AFP they were waiting for hours, even overnight, to secure fuel because supply was disrupted by damage elsewhere.
Indonesia's government is "being cautious" in how it handles the response for fear of economic and political repercussions, said Arifki Chaniago, political analyst at Aljabar Strategic think tank.
"If we declare something as a national disaster, it will become an issue that, of course, will make investors nervous," he told AFP.
"The government also does not want to provoke a negative perspective that it is incapable of handling this," he added.
Declaring a national disaster might also require reallocation of funds away from signature government programmes like free school meals, added Adrian Wijanarko, public policy expert at Paramadina University.
"It also opens opportunities for international intervention and so on. And this is akin to saying that we are not ready, asking for help," he added.
In Aceh, Eli said she was "not angry" with the government.
"I realise the situation... but please think of a quick way to help."
Frustration in Indonesia as flood survivors await aid
Tukka, Indonesia (AFP) Dec 3, 2025 -
Officials in Indonesia and Sri Lanka battled Wednesday to reach survivors of deadly flooding in remote, cut-off regions as the toll in the disaster that hit four countries topped 1,500.
In Indonesia, survivors expressed growing frustration about the slow pace of rescue efforts and aid delivery, as humanitarian groups warned the scale of the challenge was almost unprecedented, even in a country that has faced no shortage of natural disasters.
Monsoon rains paired with two tropical storm systems dumped record deluges across Sri Lanka, and parts of Indonesia's Sumatra, southern Thailand and northern Malaysia last week.
In Indonesia, 770 were confirmed dead, the country's disaster management agency said on Wednesday, revising the toll down from 812 it announced earlier in the day. Another 463 people are also missing.
Information is only trickling in as many regions remain physically cut off by flood damage, isolated by electricity and communications failures, or both.
"It's very challenging logistically to respond," said Ade Soekadis, executive director of aid group Mercy Corps Indonesia.
"The extent of the damage and the size of the affected area is really huge."
The group is hoping to send hygiene equipment and water both from Jakarta and locally.
He said reports of food and water shortages were already "very concerning" and the situation will be "more problematic as time goes by".
- 'Like an earthquake' -
At an evacuation centre in Pandan, 52-year-old Reinaro Waruwu told AFP he was "disappointed" in the government's immediate response and the slow arrival of aid.
"Some waited a day and night before receiving help, so they couldn't be saved," he said, surrounded by evacuees sitting on mats on the floor in the hall-turned-shelter.
"I am frustrated, it doesn't need to be said twice," he added.
He described the floodwaters and landslides as unprecedented.
"It came like an earthquake... I thought 'Well, if I am going to die, then so be it,'" he said, beginning to sob heavily.
Traumatised, he could not even eat on arrival, and food has only been patchily available, though vegetables arriving on Tuesday offered a "semblance of hope", he said.
Nearby, Hamida Telaumbaunua, 37, described watching her entire kitchen swept away by floodwaters.
"My heart... this was the first time I experienced such a flood," she said.
Her home was lost entirely, along with everything but the few possessions she took when she left.
"It's hard to think about what lies ahead. Maybe as long as we're still here, it's okay, but later... I don't know what will happen."
In North Aceh, 30-year-old M. Atar said some areas were only just becoming accessible as roads were cleared.
"We are in dire need of clean water. Very much in need," he said.
The weather system that hit Indonesia also brought heavy rains to Thailand, killing at least 267 people, authorities said Wednesday, and Malaysia, where two people were killed.
- Sri Lanka 'open' for tourists -
Though floods are common in Asia during monsoon season, climate change is making heavy rain events more frequent because a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture.
Warmer oceans can also turbocharge storm systems.
A separate weather system, Cyclone Ditwah, brought torrential rain and deadly floods and landslides to much of Sri Lanka last week.
At least 474 people were killed, and authorities have estimated the disaster's cost at up to $7 billion.
Another 356 people are unaccounted for, including in some of the hardest-hit regions that remain largely inaccessible.
Officials said laws that allow a person to be declared dead only after being missing for six months could be shortened to expedite the issuance of death certificates.
The government has said it will offer 25,000 rupees ($83) to families to help clean their homes. Those who lost homes will receive up to $8,000.
On the outskirts of Colombo, R.M.V. Lalith was beginning the clean-up at his two-storey home.
"We managed to salvage some furniture by moving it upstairs, but the kitchen is a mess," he told AFP, as a relative helped push mud out of the living room.
Despite the disaster, the tourism-reliant country welcomed a luxury cruiseliner to Colombo port on Tuesday, authorities said.
The arrival sends "a clear message to the world: Sri Lanka is safe, open, and ready to embrace visitors once again", the country's tourist board said.
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