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As Indonesia recovers from the devastating earthquake and tsunami, the government on Tuesday ordered independent foreign aid workers to leave the quake zone, Reuters reported.
"Foreign nationals working with foreign NGOs are not allowed to carry out any activity on the affected sites," said the agency in charge of disasters in the country.
"Foreign NGOs that have deployed its foreign staff are urged to immediately recover their staff," the statement said.
On September 28, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck central Sulawesi, triggering a powerful tsunami. According to Reuters, at least 1,948 people were killed and about 70,000 displaced in this devastating disaster. It is unclear how many people are missing after fearing that thousands of people are buried in the mud and rubble of the most affected cities like Palu.
Indonesia is generally afraid to accept outside help for fear of appearing unable to handle the situation. This concern could be particularly present in the run-up to the 2019 elections.
However, following the last earthquake, Indonesia has accepted foreign aid, although foreign aid groups have told Reuters they have difficulties obtaining entry permits for staff and equipment, as well as confusion about the rules.
It is unclear how many aid workers will be affected by the order of Tuesday.
The latest foreign aid restrictions are seen as an effort to protect the country's image in managing the disaster. The government has allocated about $ 37 million for disaster relief and some 20 countries have helped, reports Reuters.
On the other hand, Indonesia avoided any foreign aid when tremors ravaged Lombok Island in August.
Indonesia, located in the tectonically active Ring of Fire, is extremely vulnerable to huge earthquakes.
