Jakarta. The United Arab Emirates, or UAE, is ready to be the first in line to deploy assistance if Indonesia changes its mind and accepts foreign aid, according to an envoy, as the Southeast Asian country tries to recover from the catastrophic Sumatra floods.

The number of people killed by floods and landslides on Indonesia’s Sumatra island has jumped to 883 as of Saturday morning. Substantial financial costs also loom as the disaster has damaged 121,500 houses so far, as well as numerous public facilities. Despite the gravity of the situation, Indonesia insists that it can handle the relief efforts on its own. While Indonesia has received many help offers from friendly nations, Southeast Asia’s biggest economy has decided not to accept foreign aid for now. UAE Ambassador Abdulla Salem AlDhaheri recently said that his country was waiting for Indonesia’s green light on the assistance.

“We will always stand for the request of Indonesia. Provided that they [Indonesia] are open for international efforts, we will be the first to respond,” AlDhaheri told reporters on Friday night.

The diplomat also said that Abu Dhabi was aware that Indonesia had not declared a national-scale state of emergency. The three severely hit provinces -- Aceh, West Sumatra, and North Sumatra -- all have announced disaster emergencies. AlDhaheri said that he would also consult with the local governments on the possible aid, on top of his discussions with Foreign Minister Sugiono.

Earlier that day, Sugiono had said that Indonesia chose not to accept foreign aid on the grounds that the country had the capabilities to manage the disasters on its own.

“We have thanked [other countries] for their compassion, but we believe we can take care of [the Sumatra floods] on our own. … They have told us to reach out to them if we need anything,” Sugiono said, shortly after deploying Sumatra-bound assistance donated by Indonesian diplomats.

The minister went on to say that Indonesia would only allow foreign aid “after the country feels the need for one”.

The latest available data showed that 520 people remain missing. About 4,200 people got injured. The government has not published the financial damages yet. However, think-tank Celios estimated that Indonesia’s economy could shrink by Rp 68.67 trillion ($4.1 billion) based on the casualties data as of Nov. 30. The financial damages also reach other parts of the country, as the disaster has cut off transportation access, thus hampering the flow of goods. Pressure continues to mount on the government to declare a national emergency status to expedite the relief efforts.

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