Sabah flood victims continue to receive aid

Post flood situation in Kg Kodou.

KOTA KINABALU: Flood victims in Penampang continue to receive aid from various non-governmental organisations, local community leaders and kind individuals, one month after flooding hit the district.

The most recent donations are from the Rotary Club Kota Kinabalu Pearl and Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation.

The club contributed water filters to villagers of Kg Mahansung, Kampung Timpangoh, Kampung Kodou and Kaanapan who are still facing water supply problems.

The villagers are relying on rainwater, gravity pipes and rivers for water which is murky and untreated.

Rotary club members showing villagers on ways to use the water filters.

Rotary Club Kota Kinabalu president Majella Marjorie Tan Marquez and the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu Pearl members headed to these four villages on Saturday (Oct 16), bringing with them 76 water filters that could be used by 106 families.

Water filters would be a more sustainable way for them to use instead of bottled water which could be used up very quickly, said the club in a post on its Facebook page.

The water filter named EFINITY, is a Malaysian product which uses an air pump to suck out the murky water into a tube for filtration through a ceramic filter.

The villagers were also taught on how to use this portable, light and easy to assemble product.

Victims in Kg Pangasaan, Sugud and Kg Labak in Kinarut had received similar filters earlier this month.

A Penampang villager's destroyed home.

The Tzu Chi Foundation meanwhile donated funds to villagers in Kg Sudud on Tuesday (Oct 19).

However, for many of the victims, they are hoping the government will provide more assistance especially to clean their homes and roads, fix the broken gravity pipes, reconnect electricity and supply clean water.

Javesa John of Kg Kodou posted in her Facebook page that thick mud still covers their roads and homes, with them trying to clean up but were still unable to do so as rains would often make the situation worse than before.

Anthony Wong meanwhile shared how villagers in Sugud were still waiting for the grants that the government had promised to help flood victims.

Similarly, Bobby Matius, wondered how rescue personnel are supposed to get to their village if disasters such as fire struck if the damaged roads and bridges are not repaired.

“Every time it rains, our place becomes like another river, just how are we supposed to live like this,” he asked.