floods in Indonesia
Almost 1 million people affected by floods in Sri Lanka: UN
Silk Road – The death toll by destructive floods and landslides across Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia has reached nearly 1,000.
At least 340 people have been killed in Sri Lanka, 176 in southern Thailand and 442 in Indonesia.
Another 402 people are missing in Indonesia’s three provinces of North Sumatra, West Sumatra and Aceh. In Sri Lanka, 228 people are still missing.
Sri Lanka and Indonesia have deployed military personnel to help victims.
Almost one million people across all 25 districts in Sri Lanka have been affected by the floods, the UN relief coordination office is reporting, adding that more than 180,000 people from 51,000 families are sheltering in 1,094 government-run safety centres.
The UN said “Cyclone Ditwah made landfall on 28 November before moving back over the Bay of Bengal, triggering some of the most severe flooding Sri Lanka has seen since the early 2000s.” It added that:
- More than 15,000 homes have been destroyed
- More than 200 roads remain impassable
- At least 10 bridges have been damaged
- Sections of the rail network and national power grid are affected.
Indonesia’s president says ‘the worst has passed’
Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto is reassuring residents that “the worst has passed, hopefully.”
As he arrived in North Tapanuli in North Sumatra on Monday, where the government has set up a command post for emergency efforts, the president said his priority was to “immediately send the necessary aid” to hard-hit provinces, especially isolated villages.
Three warships carrying aid, along with two hospital ships, have been sent to areas where flooding and landslides have rendered roads impassable.
Helicopters delivered food, clean water, medicine and other essentials to villages in North Tapanuli and Central Tapanuli.
Indonesia warns of more rains, thunderstorms
Indonesia’s weather agency is predicting rain across much of the country today, including storms.
The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency forecasted thunderstorms – with the prospect of strong winds, thunder and lightning – over the provinces of West Nusa Tenggara, West Java and South Kalimantan, among others.
Heavy or moderate rain is also expected in some communities near the capital Jakarta, including Bogor Regency and South Tangerang city, according to the outlet Tempo.
As we’ve been reporting, officials say flooding has killed at least 442 people in Sumatra and left another 402 missing.
Source: AlJazeera.com
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