Thousands evacuated in Aceh flood disaster

Thousands evacuated in Aceh flood disaster

Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Meulaboh

About 16,000 people have been evacuated from their homes and tens
of thousands of people from three regencies in Aceh have been
isolated by floods which have claimed at least five lives.

The deputy chief of the local social affairs office, Sulaiman
Daudi, said here over the weekend that transportation systems
connecting the regencies of Southeast Aceh, South Aceh and Aceh
Singkil had been paralyzed by the week of incessant rain.

At least five people were killed when their homes were washed
away by floodwaters that hit Babat Rot in Aceh Besar on Friday.

Road users reported that several sections of the highway
connecting the provincial capital of Banda Aceh with the three
regencies were covered by water almost two-meters deep, while
several other sections were covered by landslides.

Sulaiman said traffic had been paralyzed.

Several bus companies had halted ticket sales after canceling
services to the province's western coast.

In Banda Aceh, hundreds of passengers who had hoped to return
to their hometowns in Aceh Singkil and Southeast Aceh, were left
stranded at bus terminals.

"We have been here since Nov. 22 but so far there is no
certainty when we can get to Tapaktuan because of the flooding,"
said Mustafa, who, along with his wife and five children, have
spent two nights in the Geunta Plaza bus terminal.

Fellow would-be-traveler Herman said he feared he would not
make it home in time to celebrate Idul Fitri with his parents in
his home village.

He said he would go to Sibolga in South Tapanuli, North
Sumatra, to take a boat to Aceh Singkil if the roads were not
cleared by Tuesday.

The chief of the local social affairs office, Zulkarnain, said
more than 16,000 people in the three provinces had been evacuated
to safety.

"We will immediately send rubber boats to anticipate
deteriorating conditions and have dispatched food and medical aid
for the evacuees.

"The local administrations in the three regencies have
accommodated all the refugees in public buildings such as mosques
and schools and temporary shelters," he said.

The telecommunications network, downed by the floods, was
operating Sunday after the local branch of PT Telkom deployed
hundreds of its workers to repair the network damaged by the
flood.