‘State Disaster Management Committee ready for the monsoon’

KUCHING: The State Disaster Management Committee is fully prepared to provide assistance for f lood victims as the state braces itself for the monsoon season which is expected to start next month.

Welfare, Community Well Being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said immediate assistance would be provided to the victims particularly in terms of food and shelter.

“Once we have received information on f lood incidents at a certain area, we will make sure that the victims are safely evacuated and are provided with food.

“Our main concern is to provide food assistance as soon as possible so that the victims do not go hungry,” she told reporters when met after officiating the Taska Day 2017 at Yayasan Sarawak’s Jamilah Hall here yesterday.

Fatimah said forward bases have since been identified to distribute food supplies to the affected areas.

“The food supply will be sent to the f lood evacuation centres as well as to victims whose houses or longhouses are affected by the flood in terms of road access being cut off.

“For those who are not evacuated to the flood evacuation centres, if the water has not receded after three days, we will deliver food to them depending on the situation,” she explained.

She pointed out that with flood disasters being a stressful moment for the victims, activities will also be organised at the evacuation centres to entertain them.

“If there is nothing to do at the evacuation centres, the victims will constantly worry about their house.

“So we hope that by keeping them occupied, they will not stress out over the condition of their homes.”