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Indonesia

Floods leave thousands homeless in Indonesia - but worse may be to come

Torrential rains throughout December 2003 have left thousands homeless on the Indonesian island of Sumatra with a strong possibility of far worse to come.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is appealing for 539,000 Swiss francs (US$ 431,000) to provide immediate relief - shelter (tarpaulins) and family kits - to some 5,340 families (25,000 people) now forced to live in makeshift camps, by the roadside or in community buildings such as schools or mosques.

Hardest hit are the neighbouring provinces of Jambi and Riau on Sumatra, where more than 34,000 houses, nearly 300 schools, over 90 bridges, 110 mosques, 70 health centres and 245 orange plantations have been inundated.

The Indonesian Red Cross, whose staff and volunteers will lead the relief operation funded by the appeal, warns that this disaster could be a sign of worse to come, as the Indonesian Department of Meteorology is predicting 28 days of rain this month. This would force several hundred thousand people to seek safety - a situation potentially far greater than the floods of two years ago, when up to 400,000 people fled their homes.

"What we have now is very serious but it's only the start," says Ole Johan Hauge, the International Federation's head of delegation for Indonesia. "Almost certainly over the next month we'll have more floods and landslides, across Sumatra, Java and Kalimantan."

Accordingly, the appeal includes provision for the purchase of water purification materials to support some 250,000 people as a contingency intended to avert outbreaks of water-borne diseases.

For further information, or to set up interviews, please contact:

In Jakarta:

Aswi Nugroho, Head of Communications, Indonesian Red Cross - Tel: + 62 21 799 2325

In Geneva:

Jemini Pandya, Press Officer - Tel: + 41 22 730 45 70 / + 41 79 217 33 74

The Geneva-based International Federation promotes the humanitarian activities of 181 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies among vulnerable people. By coordinating international disaster relief and encouraging development support, it seeks to prevent and alleviate human suffering. The Federation, National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross together, constitute the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.