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disease risk as flood toll rises, 44 dead, 340,000 displaced in floods
disease risk as flood toll rises, 44 dead, 340,000 displaced in floods
Last Update: Wednesday, February 7, 2007. 1:02am (AEDT)
Indonesians warned of disease risk as flood toll rises
Health officials have warned of a growing risk of disease from the filthy floodwaters inundating the Indonesian capital, where hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes.
Torrential rains early on Tuesday have raised water levels still further, bringing more misery to Jakarta and the surrounding area, where the floods have already claimed at least 44 lives.
Officials warned of the risk of leptospirosis, which causes high fever and painful joints, from the contaminated floodwaters.
Jakarta's health office deputy head, Salimar Salim, urged people in flooded areas to take precautions against the bacterial disease, which is mainly spread by rat urine and can survive for months in water and on the ground.
"We urge [people] that when they clean up after the flood, to use rubber gloves and rubber boots," she told the Detikcom news portal.
Rustam Pakaya, head of the health ministry's crisis centre, says so far nearly 40,000 people have been treated for minor ailments.
"So far we have had a few cases of diarrhoea, cases of respiratory diseases and also skin irritations, but we have so far no report of cases involving dangerous diseases such as tetanus or leptospirosis," he said.
"As of today [Tuesday], we have distributed 12 tonnes of medicine for Jakarta, West Java and Banten, and deployed over 3,000 medical staff."
Mr Pakaya says 200 doctors are helping in flood relief operations, and charities and political parties have also set up makeshift clinics.
Medical aid group International SOS has also warned of the risk of disease from the polluted waters.
"Flooding can also lead to gastro-intestinal illness like cholera and typhoid, especially if people consume unsafe food and water," it said in a medical alert.
"Floodwaters are usually polluted with elements like oil and lead, as well as disease causing organisms like the bacterium E. coli."
Death toll rises
More than 40,000 police, troops and volunteers are helping to evacuate and bring aid to around 340,000 people displaced by the massive floods.
Jakarta police spokesman Ketut Untung Yoga Ana has told reporters the death toll has risen to 44.
East Jakarta disaster mitigation centre spokesman Eman says rescuers are trying to evacuate people who have so far refused to leave their flooded homes.
Many still refuse to leave, saying they fear for their belongings or that conditions at the shelters will be no better.
Hundreds of navy personnel are also evacuating people stranded in north Jakarta.
"We are still focusing our evacuation efforts on the Kelapa Gading area where the water level is still reaching a height of one-and-a-half metres," Lieutenant Colonel Irawan told the state Antara news agency.
Emergency aid
The Netherlands will donate one million euros ($A1.67 million) to help Indonesia with the flooding.
Dutch Development Aid Minister Agnes van Ardenne has pledged the amount to her Indonesian counterpart Hassan Wirajuda.
Half of the aid will be spent by the Dutch Red Cross and its Indonesian partner organisations on boats, food, water and clothing for the thousands of Jakarta residents who fled the floodwaters.
The other 500,000 euros will be donated to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), which will buy rubber boats.
"As good friends it is self-evident that we will help Indonesia when 15 per cent of Jakarta is flooded," she said.
Australia has pledged $A150,000 and the United States has promised $A129,000 in emergency assistance.
More rain forecast
Heavy downpours have raised the water levels at all of the city's main floodgates and further rain is forecast until at least Wednesday.
"Our three-day forecast shows that rains will continue to fall, but with less volume than the first five days of this month," meteorology office spokesman Ahmad Zakir said.
Between 12 and 15 centimetres of rain have fallen daily, but he said levels were now likely to drop to around eight to 10 centimetres.
ElShinta radio reported that floodwaters had returned in some areas where they had started to recede, and callers from the south and south-west of the city said water levels were rising again in their areas.
Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar has blamed the floods on excessive construction on natural drainage areas, but city governor Sutiyoso said it was a "cyclical natural phenomenon".
Old Batavia, the former colonial port under Dutch rule from where Jakarta has expanded, was built on marshland and some areas of the capital are below sea level.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200702/s1841800.htm
disease risk as flood toll rises, 44 dead, 340,000 displaced in floods
Last Update: Wednesday, February 7, 2007. 1:02am (AEDT)
Indonesians warned of disease risk as flood toll rises
Health officials have warned of a growing risk of disease from the filthy floodwaters inundating the Indonesian capital, where hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes.
Torrential rains early on Tuesday have raised water levels still further, bringing more misery to Jakarta and the surrounding area, where the floods have already claimed at least 44 lives.
Officials warned of the risk of leptospirosis, which causes high fever and painful joints, from the contaminated floodwaters.
Jakarta's health office deputy head, Salimar Salim, urged people in flooded areas to take precautions against the bacterial disease, which is mainly spread by rat urine and can survive for months in water and on the ground.
"We urge [people] that when they clean up after the flood, to use rubber gloves and rubber boots," she told the Detikcom news portal.
Rustam Pakaya, head of the health ministry's crisis centre, says so far nearly 40,000 people have been treated for minor ailments.
"So far we have had a few cases of diarrhoea, cases of respiratory diseases and also skin irritations, but we have so far no report of cases involving dangerous diseases such as tetanus or leptospirosis," he said.
"As of today [Tuesday], we have distributed 12 tonnes of medicine for Jakarta, West Java and Banten, and deployed over 3,000 medical staff."
Mr Pakaya says 200 doctors are helping in flood relief operations, and charities and political parties have also set up makeshift clinics.
Medical aid group International SOS has also warned of the risk of disease from the polluted waters.
"Flooding can also lead to gastro-intestinal illness like cholera and typhoid, especially if people consume unsafe food and water," it said in a medical alert.
"Floodwaters are usually polluted with elements like oil and lead, as well as disease causing organisms like the bacterium E. coli."
Death toll rises
More than 40,000 police, troops and volunteers are helping to evacuate and bring aid to around 340,000 people displaced by the massive floods.
Jakarta police spokesman Ketut Untung Yoga Ana has told reporters the death toll has risen to 44.
East Jakarta disaster mitigation centre spokesman Eman says rescuers are trying to evacuate people who have so far refused to leave their flooded homes.
Many still refuse to leave, saying they fear for their belongings or that conditions at the shelters will be no better.
Hundreds of navy personnel are also evacuating people stranded in north Jakarta.
"We are still focusing our evacuation efforts on the Kelapa Gading area where the water level is still reaching a height of one-and-a-half metres," Lieutenant Colonel Irawan told the state Antara news agency.
Emergency aid
The Netherlands will donate one million euros ($A1.67 million) to help Indonesia with the flooding.
Dutch Development Aid Minister Agnes van Ardenne has pledged the amount to her Indonesian counterpart Hassan Wirajuda.
Half of the aid will be spent by the Dutch Red Cross and its Indonesian partner organisations on boats, food, water and clothing for the thousands of Jakarta residents who fled the floodwaters.
The other 500,000 euros will be donated to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), which will buy rubber boats.
"As good friends it is self-evident that we will help Indonesia when 15 per cent of Jakarta is flooded," she said.
Australia has pledged $A150,000 and the United States has promised $A129,000 in emergency assistance.
More rain forecast
Heavy downpours have raised the water levels at all of the city's main floodgates and further rain is forecast until at least Wednesday.
"Our three-day forecast shows that rains will continue to fall, but with less volume than the first five days of this month," meteorology office spokesman Ahmad Zakir said.
Between 12 and 15 centimetres of rain have fallen daily, but he said levels were now likely to drop to around eight to 10 centimetres.
ElShinta radio reported that floodwaters had returned in some areas where they had started to recede, and callers from the south and south-west of the city said water levels were rising again in their areas.
Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar has blamed the floods on excessive construction on natural drainage areas, but city governor Sutiyoso said it was a "cyclical natural phenomenon".
Old Batavia, the former colonial port under Dutch rule from where Jakarta has expanded, was built on marshland and some areas of the capital are below sea level.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200702/s1841800.htm
