Indonesia is currently hit by several natural disasters. On the island of Sulawesi, a severe earthquake caused many deaths and great destruction a few days ago. And on the island of Borneo, massive flooding caused great suffering.
The floods affected the province of South Kalimantan, especially its capital Banjarmasin, reports the news agency Keystone/sda. After days of massive rainfall, the Barito River burst its banks. More than 24,000 houses were submerged in the floods, and 40,000 people were left homeless, the news agency Antara News is quoted as saying. Already on January 18, the provincial administration had declared a state of emergency. In Kalimantan, large parts of the important rainforest have been cleared for years to make room for mining and palm oil plantations, among other things.
According to the disaster management agency, at least 15 people lost their lives. And the Farmers Union reported that over 200,000 hectares of farmland had been destroyed. President Joko Widodo said it was the worst flooding in the region in 50 years.
Rapid assistance through Mission 21 partners
The situation is apparently worse than previously known. Mission 21 contacts on the ground report higher casualty figures and numerous missing persons. As of 20 January, around 80,000 people have been evacuated. However, not all of them have apparently been provided with food.
In the region, several partner churches and organizations of Mission 21 are also affected. These quickly became active and now, together with Mission 21, are bringing help to those affected in the most uncomplicated way possible: the partner church GKE, the Muslim partner organization LK3 and the interfaith producers' organization Borneo Braid.
Help across religious boundaries
GKE, LK3 and Borneo Braid work interreligiously. The Christian and Muslim members are committed to providing rapid assistance to all those affected, regardless of religious affiliation. Mission 21 supports its partners with contributions to their emergency relief efforts. The need for support is great. Therefore, we are grateful for every donation for emergency aid.
Text: Christoph Rácz
â–º Donate now for emergency relief in South Kalimantan (Borneo)
â–º Report on swissinfo on the situation in South Kalimantan
