PAGOH: At least 180,000 people nationwide have been affected by the series of floods that have hit the country due to the northeast monsoon since November last year, says Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali.
The Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions) said that some 183,454 people from 52,857 families have at some point been placed at temporary relief centres nationwide since November last year up until March 3.
"For the record, the number of victims affected by the northeast monsoon between November 2021 and March 2022 stands at 181,907," he said.
"The statistics only include those who have been placed at temporary relief centres and does not include those who did not relocate," added Armizan in a statement after visiting a temporary relief centre at Pagoh and the Muar Operation Centre on Saturday (March 4).
He added that according to the National Disaster Control Centre (NDCC), a total of 14 continuous rain warnings have been issued by the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) during the 2022/2023 northeast monsoon season.
"The 14th series of the warning was issued on Feb 24 and is still ongoing. The monsoon is expected to continue until March 6, causing continuous rainfall in southern Peninsular Malaysia and thunderstorms in west Sarawak," he said.
He noted that the Segamat district in Johor has been hit the worst with over 13,000 people seeking shelter at 77 relief centres.
"Among the main issues identified during the floods are difficulties in sending food to affected areas as roads are submerged in water.
"It is difficult for the Welfare Department to get to the affected areas. However, we have been able to solve the issue with the help from the Fire and Rescue Department, the Civil Defence Force and the Armed Forces," he said.
He added that the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) has also assisted the Welfare Department in obtaining emergency acquisitions so additional basic need items could be channelled.
"The National Disaster Control Centre (NDCC) has also purchased additional supplies with allocations from the National Disaster Trust Fund," he said.
He noted that as of 6am on Saturday (March 4), a total of six states have been affected by the floods, namely Johor (nine districts), Pahang (six districts), Negri Sembilan (two districts), Melaka (two districts), Sarawak (one district) and Selangor (one district).
"At the moment, a total of 40,648 people from 11,776 are seeking shelter at the 274 relief centres nationwide," he said.
