Furry cargo: Fo Guang Shan Hsingma Si volunteers rescuing dogs from an animal shelter in Chaah.
PAGOH: A lack of road access to some of the areas affected by floods has been identified as the main problem faced in extending assistance, including sending foodstuff to victims, says Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali.
The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions) said strong water currents at flooded roads made it difficult for the Welfare Department to send officers to the affected areas.
“However, we have received assistance from the Fire and Rescue Department, the Civil Defence Force and the Malaysian Armed Forces to overcome this,” he said after visiting a temporary relief centre here and the Muar operation centre yesterday.
As at 6am yesterday, six states have been affected by the floods, namely Johor (nine districts), Pahang (six districts), Negri Sembilan and Melaka (two districts each), Sarawak and Selangor (one district each).
“Johor is facing one of the worst it has seen after the 2006 floods.
“The high number of affected victims has also caused a lack of supply for certain items such as blankets and pillows at several flood relief centres.
“The Welfare Department has made arrangements to increase the supply of the items with assistance from non-governmental organisations as well as state and district disaster management committees,” Armizan said.
As of early yesterday, a total of 40,648 people from 11,776 families were relocated due to floods nationwide.
State health and unity committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said several government health clinics in Segamat, Batu Pahat, Tangkak and Kota Tinggi were not accessible following the floods.
“A cumulative total of 24 medical facilities have been affected by the floods where 11 are in Segamat, 10 in Batu Pahat, two in Tangkak and one in Kota Tinggi.
“Affected patients will be sent to other health clinics nearby that are accessible or they can seek treatment at temporary relief centres where we have deployed medical officers,” he said.
More than 1,000 medical staff, including doctors and nurses, have also been deployed to all temporary relief centres statewide.
As at 4pm yesterday, the number of flood victims in Johor stood at 39,476 in 247 temporary relief centres.
Earlier, state police chief Comm Datuk Kamarul Zaman Mamat said that the floods claimed a fourth victim on Friday.
He said the victim was a 69-year-old woman, who was believed to have slipped and fell into a drain in Batu Anam, Segamat.
“She had earlier sought shelter at a temporary relief centre but later went missing.
“Her neighbour, who went out to look for her, found her body in the drain,” he added.
On March 1, the first casualty in Johor occurred in Kluang after a man was found dead inside a car, believed to have been swept away by floodwaters.
On the following day, two senior citizens were found dead by neighbours in Chaah, Segamat.
