Floods in Ambon: Situation remains critical, 10 dead and thousands displaced
Jakarta (AsiaNews) - The
situation in Ambon, capital of the Moluccas (Indonesia) is still critical a week
on from a violent wave of floods that have killed at least 10 people and flooded
of about 700 homes. Until
last night the area was still affected by heavy rains, which hampered rescue
operations, the civilian population remains in emergency shelters and the
return to normal daily life is still far away. People
are waiting for aid and basic necessities; Christian associations have promoted
initiatives of solidarity for the displaced.
Dozens
of homes in downtown Ambon are still buried
under mud, and entire neighborhoods are invaded by water difficult to drain. At
least a dozen areas most affected - including Skip, Aster and Passo - are under five meters of water since last week
when there was a peak in rainfall. Diseases
and disorders have begun to develop Among the inhabitants including diarrhea
and respiratory problems.
For
the civilian population in Ambon it is the
worst disaster in recent years, after the Islamic-Christian sectarian violence
between 1999 and 2002 that caused almost 9 thousand victims. The
schools are closed and some schools are still flooded with a mixture of water
and mud.
In
the emergency shelters several Christian organizations have been active in
bringing aid to the people. In
the suburb of Aster, a Protestant pastor James Timisela has launched a
collection of basic necessities, with the support of the police and military
personnel engaged in the area. "The
only thing we can do - says the Reverend - is to collect unused objects, to be
distributed to those in need."
From the
Franciscan headquarters in Jakarta,
Fr. Christo
Tara confirmed that dozens of Catholic organizations, including the Catholic
women's movement (Wkri) are planning to send aid and basic necessities. There
are at least 6,179 displaced people the priest tells AsiaNews, but the number could be much higher because the waters
have also invaded several other areas of the regency of Ambon.
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