The floods, which have claimed the lives of two children, have forced the displacement of some 24 000 people in Sumatra, Indonesia, according to the authorities on Tuesday, and environmentalists point out that deforestation is a major cause of the floods.
Due to the heavy rainfall since last Friday, rivers have flooded the northern part of the island and flooded populated areas, in some places three meters high, according to a disaster report.
A resident of Aceh told AFP that he was flooded 5-8 times a year
In the province of North Aceh, a state of emergency has been declared by the authorities.
According to the environmental organization Walhi, floods are largely caused by deforestation,
carried out recklessly in the upper reaches of rivers in order to gain space for newer and newer oil palm plantations
As a result, rivers flood faster and flood areas along the lower reaches, said Ahmad Shalihin, Walhi’s managing director.
Floods they were also recently in neighboring Malaysia, killing fifty people.
Some 70,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes in December, 13,000 of whom still live in shelters.
Floods and landslides are common in both Indonesia and Malaysia, the latter also due to deforestation and the lack of adequate flood protection to compensate for this.
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