May 21, 2007
Waves as high as 23-feet high hit southern coastal areas of Indonesia over the weekend, flooding areas in Sumatra (Aceh), Java (Pangandaran, Sukabumi, Garut, Bantul), and Bali (Jimbaran). In Garut, West Java, hundreds of families were displaced; in Aceh Barat, 375 households were affected.
High tides and flooding have also affected coastal areas of Thailand, reports Skip Dangers of the CWS Laos office. The northern Thai province of Uttaradit has declared four districts as disaster zones, and the capital, Bangkok, is also bracing for possible flooding, according to news reports.
Dangers said heavy rains are normal during rainy season but are highly unusual this early in the year.
RESPONSE: Church World Service Indonesia, UNICEF and the Spanish Red Cross plan a joint response in Aceh that will include CWS assisting with sanitation facilities. CWS is completing an assessment there, and CWS may distribute non-food items. CWS will continue to monitor the situation in affected areas. No CWS response in Thailand or Laos is expected right now.
Media Contacts:
Lesley Crosson, CWS/New York, 212-870-2676; lcrosson@churchworldservice.org
Jan Dragin (24/7), 781-925-1526; jdragin@gis.net
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
