Two weeks after cyclone-driven floods, thousands still remain cut off in Indonesia’s Sumatra

Two weeks after cyclone-driven floods tore through Indonesia’s Sumatra island, whole communities remain cut off, perched on rooftops and mud-choked hillsides waiting for relief that trickles in far too slowly. Roads and bridges have been washed away, phone lines are dead, and families are rationing whatever food they managed to save as children fall sick from dirty water. While foreign governments offer planes, ships and rescue teams, Jakarta insists it can handle the disaster alone. On the ground, survivors are asking a simple question: how long are they supposed to wait?