FLOOD, TWO FAMILY HUNGRY

HUNGRY.....At least two of the 14 families have gone hungry for days as they were unable to carry with them their foodstuff while escaping the flash flood.

By : THOMAS PI

LAHAD DATU: Several villages, including two government-built low cost housing estates meant for the poor, are facing rising flood waters, and more are threatened, after the Segama River overflowed its banks as torrential rain continued unabated in this district.

More than two days of heavy rain submerged the areas along the river under four feet of water, trapping hundreds of residents who were unable to flee as roads leading in and out were also flooded.

Many have refused to move to community halls and have chosen to stay in makeshift shelters by roadside in front of their houses as they fear their only belonging would be lost to theft.

At least two of 14 families which had resorted to staying put have gone hungry for days as they were unable to carry with them their foodstuff while escaping the flash flood.

The district Welfare Department has so far played down the flood and refused to give aid as the officials’ described the situation as “not too serious”.

On Friday morning, community leader cum PBS Tungku divison deputy chairman, Tungging Durani who resides near two of the PPRT houses, lashed out at the officials for not providing assistance to the flood victims in Segama Lama and Ulu Segama area.

“They have lost their food to the flood. Is it too much to ask for food assistance? Do they really want to wait until someone is admitted to the hospital before they react? These are local folks from Dusun villages here, even if they are foreigners the authorities should provide some kind of assistance based on humanitarian grounds,” he said.

The former Kampong Bukit Balacon Village Security and Development Committee (JKKK) chairman regretted the authorities were not being sensitive towards the needs of the victims.

He said the PPRT houses meant to ease the burden of poor villagers have instead created more problems for them.

“These houses should have been erected on higher ground. This flooding is a yearly phenomenon … it usually occurs early in the year and many villagers had no choice but to stay near the river as they have no where to go.

“I believe if they are given higher grounds to build their homes, they will move because no one wants to suffer the effects of floods on a yearly basis,” he said.

The majority of those affected in Ulu Segama are the Dusuns. Most are fruits farmers and oil palm smallholders and are now unable to transport their crops, thus effecting their daily income and their livelihood.

Sand operations along Segama River have also been blamed as a contributory cause for the flooding. (FMT)