The new year has got off to a wet start on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia after torrential rains displaced some more than 30,000 people and left two children dead, according to the country’s Disaster Mitigation Agency.
Heavy rain has pummelled parts of the western island including Jambi and Aceh provinces for days raising fears that the flooding will harm the local economy and lead to a spike in COVID-19 cases.
Muhammad Hatta says his village on the outskirts of the town of Lhoksukon in Aceh Province has been underwater since the beginning of the year, and there is little sign of respite. Hatta, his wife and three sons managed to prevent the floodwaters from entering their home by blocking off their downstairs kitchen. Al Jazeera.
