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Muar, Malaysia: Floods, caused by torrential rains, swept hundreds of villages and towns in Southern Peninsular Malaysia last Thursday, taking at least 9 lives, causing the evacuation of more than 100,000 people, destroying crops and cutting off roads, power lines and rail services. The evacuees are being housed in 296 centres in the affected state of Johor. The UNITED SIKHS team are currently setting up the base camp at the Sikh Gurdwara in Muar, home to the highest number of internally displaced persons and those most likely to need emergency supplies.

The President and congregation of the Muar Sikh Gurdwara have helped to pack and dispatch the emergency supplies from the UNITED SIKHS base camp at the Sikh Gurdwara to the nearby relief centres. UNITED SIKHS have joined forces with MERCY Malaysia, a volunteer disaster relief organisation, which was at the centre of the Tsunami relief operation in Aceh, two years ago. The joint-team are working together to provide emergency supplies. The number of dead and evacuees are likely to increase over the coming days as the true extent of the disaster becomes known. Please donate whatever you can to help us provide emergency supplies to those affected by the floods at www.unitedsikhs.org/donate

The water level reached the steps of the Sikh Gurdwara in Segamat, one the worst affected towns in Johor, but no damage was caused. “At the moment, there is real need for family hygiene kits of soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, feminine hygiene products, diapers and infant formula,” said Kiran Kaur, UNITED SIKHS Relief Team Volunteer Coordinator.

The flooding is the worst experienced by Malaysia for decades and experts have stated it could spread and conditions could worsen before the situation improves for the country.

“The water is continuing to rise is some areas and many people are still cut off. Rumours of a cracked dam are rife among locals, and it is predicted the water could take months to recede. Your help is urgently needed”, said Rishiwant Singh, UNITED SIKHS Malaysian Flood Relief Co-ordinator.

To read a previous Press Release on UNITED SIKHS’ humanitarian relief work please see: https://www.unitedsikhs.org/PressReleases/COMVCE-02-06-2006-00.htm

Issued by:
Meerat Kaur
Executive Director
UNITED SIKHS