Following heavy rainfall this month in the Indonesian province of Nusa Tanggara Timur, the region was hit by serious flooding. Malaka district, where Handicap International has been running a disaster-risk reduction program since 2011, experienced the most severe flooding. The flood damaged many homes, destroyed crops, and contaminated water sources. Handicap International launched an immediate emergency response and is currently providing the most vulnerable people with essential supplies and equipment.
Indonesia is regularly hit by deadly flooding. Already in 2013, Malaka district has been flooded eight times. “Since the beginning of July, the situation has deteriorated in Malaka district, and we have had to suspend our regular development activities in order to respond to the emergency,” says Laura Giani, the manager of Handicap International’s program in Indonesia.
A local team is distributing essential supplies and non-food items, such as buckets and bailers, in the villages of Fafoe, Umatoos, and Lawalu, where some 6,300 people have been affected. Tents with cooking equipment are also being set up to provide people evacuated from their homes with shelter and a place to prepare food.
When the water levels drop, the team will begin the process of cleaning up polluted wells. In addition, a “food for work” scheme will be launched, which will provide residents with food in exchange for their help in cleaning up schools and health facilities.