Welfare Dept: Enough food for a month for victims

HULU TERENGGANU: There’s enough food stockpiled for flood victims in Terengganu and Kelantan even if the floods last for a month.

Welfare Department director-general Datuk Zulkiply Rahim said the department has stored canned and dried food items along with other necessities at two depots serving both states.

The facilities are in Marang, Terengganu, and in Kemumin, Kelantan.

Food from the two depots will be transported to mini depots before being sent to evacuation centres.

The department is also in touch with at least three major hypermarkets which can restock the depots if needed.

“We have sufficient food supply. Even if the floods last for a month, all evacuation centres will have sufficient food supply,” he told reporters during a visit to the Kampung Getang evacuation centre here.

Open as usual: A stall staying open for business despite being hit by floods in Kampung Bukit Tadok in Hulu Terengganu. — Bernama

Zulkiply said there were 18 mini depots and 160 forward bases in Terengganu.

In Petaling Jaya, the Civil Defence Force said it has deployed 2,056 personnel as well as more than 30 boats to the two states.

Its Disaster Operations and Management director Lt-Kol Mohd Yusoff Samad said some 1,300 personnel were assigned to Kelantan and the rest to Terengganu.

“Some 30 boats, eight lorries and 11 four-wheel drives have been sent to Kelantan while five boats, five lorries and five four-wheel drives to Terengganu.

“The bulk of our deployment is focused on Kelantan as the state is the worse hit of the two,” he said.

“A total of 1,201 victims have been placed at 24 relief centres in Kelantan while Terengganu recorded 452 victims in seven relief centres,” added Lt-Kol Mohd Yusoff.

Hard at work: Flood victim Mohd Ayob Sulong, 45, and his wife Rosnani Abu Bakar cleaning their flood-hit house in Taman Darul Iman, Kelulut. — Bernama