INDONESIA: Capital on health alert over floods as disease spreads to thousands

Floods in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta have displaced 340,000 people and killed nearly 30. Water in parts of the tropical city of nine million people has been up to 4 metres (13 feet) deep causing blackouts, cutting telephone lines and blocking key roads. Indonesia regularly suffers from floods during the rainy season but the devastation of recent days has been the worst in five years. Meteorology officials have warned the city could suffer heavy rains until the end of the month. Officials at the Jakarta health department said 170 medical posts had treated 53,108 patients over two days for mostly minor ailments. But Health Minister Siti Fadillah Supari told reporters that authorities were on alert for outbreaks of more serious cases of diarrhea or diseases such as typhoid, cholera and measles. "We have enough logistics so far, especially food and milk for the babies," said one health volunteer. "The big number of health cases we have found are diarrhoea and cholera. The adults have better immunity," said Doctor Erick Kurniawan. Ketut Untung Yoga Ana, a Jakarta police spokesman, said 29 people had been killed-- most of them having been electrocuted or drowned, while others died of sickness. The Indonesian military said it had deployed more than 4,000 soldiers and provided dozens of dinghies and trucks to help flood-hit residents. Bayu Krisnamurthi, head of a body tackling bird flu, said the flooding could spread infected poultry and complicate measures against the virus that has killed 63 people in the country. After heavy overnight rain, sunshine bathed the capital on Monday (February 5), although an official at the country's meteorology agency said the downpours would subside. Floods in the city can often spring up in one area and recede in another as water from rain in upstream areas such as Bogor feeds into rivers criss-crossing the city. Tap water was not available in several parts of the capital where wealthy residents hired bowsers for deliveries. Many residential areas and major roads in West and North Jakarta, as well as at least one key intersection in the city centre, were flooded, triggering huge traffic jams. The toll road to the airport was restricted to high-wheeled vehicles. In Kelapa Gading, an area of North Jakarta with new malls and many young professionals, some residents evacuated using rafts made of wood, plastic water jugs and inflatable mattresses. Traders also used floats to sell goods door-to-door. Around 2,000 people were camped under a flyover in East Jakarta, including a newborn baby boy. Some businesses closed because of a lack of phone lines, while others put up key staff in hotels. Newspaper editorials questioned on Monday why more had not been done to prevent flooding in the low-lying city originally built on swampland after severe flooding five years ago. Jakarta governor Sutiyoso told Elshinta radio that people in areas in danger of flooding must evacuate. He also brushed aside criticism of his administration's handling of the crisis. "If people are complaining about a slow response I think we've already put our maximum efforts. The underlying issue is that the floods are sporadic. Another thing is that we have been hit by lack of resources and logistics," said Bobby Aryono, Head of Jakarta Emergency Agency. "Due to the extraordinary intesified rain, the volume of water has increased in Jakarta's buffer areas and water canals. Plus the garbage has piled up beneath the canals," he said, when asked what was the cause of the floods.

ITN Source | February 6, 2007

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