The official death toll of Indonesia's quake and tsunami surged to 1,234 on Tuesday, and resources for survivors are running thin.
In the shattered city of Palu, lootings have begun at gas stations and police watched on as grocery stores were raided.
The government has said victims can take essential goods, and shops will be compensated later.
However most of the 60 thousand people now believed to be homeless are stuck in open-air camps, with nowhere to go.