40 people already died and 300,000 have been displaced in heavy flooding.
In a statement to BosNewsLife, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) said it dispatched emergency response teams to help meet the needs of families affected by the flooding that swept through Jakarta in the early morning hours of February 3, 2007.
"Many of the displaced residents are currently taking refuge in schools, churches, mosques, and other public buildings," said the Adventist Press Service.
Damaged sanitation systems and contaminated water supplies throughout the city have increased the risk of diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery, and typhoid, Christian aid workers said. Basic emergency needs reportedly include food, medicine, blankets, and shelter.
FOOD PACKETS
ADRA said it has begun distributing food packets to about 900 families, or 4,500 individuals. "Efforts are being targeted in two of the hardest-hit areas of the city: the Kapuk section of West Jakarta and the Kampung Melayu section of East Jakarta."
ADRA’s initial response also includes distributing bedding kits containing mattresses, blankets, and mosquito nets, along with household kits containing cleaning supplies and hygiene items, the Adventist Press Service reported.
It also dispatched medics to the region. ADRA, which claims to be represented in 125 countries, also continued to combat the spread of water- and mosquito-borne illness thousands of miles away in north-eastern Kenya, following heavy flooding there. The organization said it has been dispatching mobile medical and health education teams in Kenya’s Mandera district area.
"After three years of drought in the arid and semi-arid lands of Kenya, heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding have caused widespread damage to the homes and livelihoods of an estimated 730,000 in the region," the Adventist Press Service quoted ADRA as saying.
Thousands of people have been displaced in Kenya, the group said. (With reports from Indonesia and Kenya).
