Sumatra Floods: Hunger Fears Rise

The flood-hit Indonesian island of Sumatra is preparing for more heavy rains, at a time when the governor of one of the affected provinces warned that the death toll had exceeded 900, amid fears of widespread hunger. A series of tropical storms and monsoon rains have swept through Southeast and South Asia, causing landslides and massive floods, extending from the rainforests of Sumatra to highland farms in Sri Lanka.

More than 1,770 people have died in natural disasters hitting Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam since last week.

The governor of Aceh province, Mazakir Manaf, confirmed that response teams are still searching for bodies in the waist-deep mud, but hunger is one of the most serious threats facing remote and difficult-to-reach villages.

He told reporters, “A large number of residents lack basic needs, while aid has not yet reached several areas in the remote countryside of Aceh.” He added: “People are not dying from floods, but from hunger. This is the reality.”

Mazakir confirmed that entire villages were swept away by flood waters in the Aceh Tamyang region, which is covered with rainforests, pointing out that “the Aceh Tamyang region was completely destroyed, from top to bottom, even the roads all the way to the sea.” “Many villages and districts are now just names,” he said.

Analysts indicated that Indonesia may refrain from declaring a “state of disaster” and seeking additional foreign aid, because that would show that it is unable to bear responsibility, at a time when the Indonesian government confirmed this week its ability to deal with the repercussions.

Humanitarian organizations fear that the scale of the disaster is unprecedented, even for a country prone to natural disasters. The death toll in Indonesia rose to 908 yesterday, according to the Disaster Management Authority, while 410 people are still missing.

The death toll in Sri Lanka also rose by more than 100 on Friday, bringing the toll to 607, while the government warned that more rain would increase the risk of new landslides.

In turn, Thailand reported 276 deaths, Malaysia reported two cases, while at least two people died in Vietnam, after heavy rains caused landslides.