This chapter considers two case studies of recent disasters in Indonesia, in order to
assess how the existing legal framework, as outlined in chapters two and three, has
After the Mount Merapi volcanic eruption, the government of Indonesia did not issue a
formal request for international assistance.152 The only import of note was the replacement
of destroyed volcanic monitoring equipment by the United States Geological
Survey.153 Ordinarily, according to an interview with the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID), it would have been difficult to import the equipment
but in the midst of a crisis, the customs procedures were relatively smooth.
Notwithstanding the lack of a request for international assistance, Yogyakarta airport
and Jakarta airport and seaport were deemed to be entry points if necessary. Similar
to the response to the West Sumatera earthquake, foreign assistance was largely provided
in the form of fund transfers to the government and Indonesia-based INGOs to
provide disaster relief. INGOs already based in Indonesia, such as Oxfam and UNICEF,
were involved in the relief effort and cooperated extensively with the government,
including in the sourcing relief items from already existing stocks.