18 January 2013: Heavy rain over the last two days has triggered flooding in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta. Approximately 19,000 people have been evacuated and another 55,000 people are currently affected by the rising waters.
Thousands of houses, buildings - including the Presidential palace - and roads have been affected, with flood waters blocking some major roads and paralysing transportation in parts of the city. Flood waters reached more than two meters in some areas of the city and have caused landslides in other areas. The Governor of Jakarta has declared a state of emergency in the capital until January 27.
The Government of Indonesia has not yet requested international assistance. CARE International Indonesia is monitoring the situation closely and the Emergency Response Team is on standby.
Helen Vanwel, CARE International Indonesia Country Director said, ‘Since last night the rain has been intermittent with short periods of heavy rain interspersed by longer dry spells. For the moment the situation in Jakarta is improving and water is subsiding in some areas. But there’s a chance the heavy rains will return.
‘CARE Indonesia’s emergency team is on standby. We are monitoring the situation closely. The Government of Indonesia and the Jakarta government are doing all they can to help affected people by floods,’ said Ms Vanwel.
CARE Australia will provide updates as they become available.
CARE has been operating in Indonesia since 1967, initially working in food distribution, small infrastructure projects, health, the environment, and water and sanitation. In the wake of a series of shocks in the late 1990s that included the 1997 financial crisis and widespread drought, CARE Indonesia redirected its focus towards emergency programming. Today, CARE’s core activities in Indonesia include emergency response and disaster risk reduction; environment, natural resource management and climate change; health; livelihoods; water, sanitation and hygiene; and child rights.
About CARE: Founded in 1945, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE has more than six decades of experience helping people prepare for disasters, providing lifesaving assistance when a crisis hits, and helping communities recover after the emergency has passed. CARE places special focus on women and children, who are often disproportionately affected by disasters.Last year CARE worked with more than 122 million people across 84 countries.