Indonesia and Malaysia welcome the new year in the flood

Yesterday (December 29), Indonesian rescue workers went to remote villages, distributing food and medicine to thousands of people who had to leave their homes due to floods and landslides. This natural disaster also killed at least 126 people on Sumatra island.

The torrential rains of the past few days have forced more than 400,000 people in Indonesia to leave their homes. According to Sumatra Musa, Sumatra's government spokesman, heavy rain is still pouring into the area, hindering the relief work and causing survivors to suffer.

The worst affected area is Aceh province, where helicopters have to drop food, tents and medicines down for people while volunteers use small boats to distribute relief goods.

Jabad, an Aceh official, said at least 76 people in the province were killed. This number in neighboring North Sumatra province is at least 50 people.

Aceh is the most affected province in the 2004 tsunami, with about 167,000 people killed. However, the consequences of flooding and landslides in this area are not known as tsunamis.

Malaysia is also suffering the most severe weather in 100 years, with 90,000 people leaving their homes and 11 people killed.

A woman in Aceh looks at her house devastated by floods and landslides on Dec. 28 (Photo: AP)

T.VY