PADANG, Indonesia: The death toll from devastating floods and landslides in Southeast Asia climbed past 350 on Saturday as clean-up and search and rescue operations got underway in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.
Heavy monsoon rain overwhelmed swathes of the three countries this week, killing hundreds and leaving thousands stranded, many on rooftops awaiting rescue.
Rescuers in Indonesia were struggling to reach the worst-affected areas of Sumatra island, where more than 100 people were still missing.
Flooding and landslides in Indonesia have killed more than 200 people, according to figures from the disaster authorities.
“As of tonight, 61 fatalities have been recorded, and 90 are still being searched for,” West Sumatra Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Ilham Wahab said late Friday, updating an earlier toll of 23 for the province.
In North Sumatra, another 116 people have died, while in Aceh province the death toll was at least 35 people, according to figures released by the agency.
National Disaster agency (BNPB) head Suharyanto told a news conference that a cloud seeding operation would begin in West Sumatra to reduce the rainfall, most of which had already subsided by Saturday.
In southern Thailand water levels reached three meters (nearly 10 feet) in Songkhla province and killed at least 145 people in one of the worst floods in a decade.
Workers at one hospital in hard-hit Hat Yai moved bodies into refrigerated trucks after the morgue exceeded capacity.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visited a shelter for evacuees in the district on Friday.
“I really have to apologize to them for letting this happen during the time I am in government,” he told reporters in footage broadcast on AmarinTV.
“The next step is to prevent the situation from deteriorating,” he added, announcing a two-week timeframe for the district’s clean-up.
The Thai government rolled out relief measures for those affected by the flooding, including compensation of up to two million baht ($62,000) for households that lost family members.
Public criticism
As floodwaters receded, shop owner Rachane Remsringam picked through rubbish strewn between the aisles of his general goods store, lamenting hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses.
His store, Madam Yong, was looted and vandalized in the wake of the disaster, he said.
There has been growing public criticism of Thailand’s flood response and two local officials have been suspended over their alleged failures.
An MP from the opposition People’s Party criticized the administration, saying it “wrongly estimated the situation” and made “errors in handling the flood crisis.”
Two people were killed in Malaysia by flooding caused by heavy rain that left stretches of northern Perlis state under water.
The annual monsoon season, typically between June and September, often brings heavy rain, triggering landslides and flash floods.
A tropical storm has exacerbated conditions, and the tolls in Indonesia and Thailand rank among the highest in floods in those countries in recent years.
Climate change has affected storm patterns, including the duration and intensity of the season, leading to heavier rainfall, flash flooding and stronger wind gusts.
A warmer climate holds more moisture, producing more intense rain events, while warmer oceans can turbocharge the strength of storm systems.
Thailand, Indonesia begin clean-up after massive floods kill hundreds
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Thailand, Indonesia begin clean-up after massive floods kill hundreds
- Heavy monsoon rain overwhelmed swathes of the three countries this week, killing hundreds and leaving thousands stranded
- In southern Thailand, water levels reached three meters in Songkhla province and killed at least 145 people
94 million need cataract surgery, but access lacking: WHO
- Of the 94 million affected, fewer than 20 percent are blind, while the rest suffer from impaired vision
GENEVA: More than 94 million people suffer from cataracts, but half of them do not have access to the surgery needed to fix it, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.
Cataracts — the clouding of the eye’s lens that causes blurred vision and can lead to blindness — are on the rise as populations get older, with age being the main risk factor.
“Cataract surgery — a simple, 15-minute procedure — is one of the most cost-effective medical procedures, providing immediate and lasting restoration of sight,” the WHO said.
It is one of the most frequently performed surgeries undertaken in high-income countries.
However, “half of the world’s population in need of cataract surgery don’t have access to it,” said Stuart Keel, the UN health agency’s technical lead for eye care.
The situation is worst in the WHO’s Africa region, where three in four people needing cataract surgery remain untreated.
In Kenya, at the current rate, 77 percent of people needing cataract surgery are likely to die with their cataract blindness or vision impairment, said Keel.
Across all regions, women consistently experience lower access to care than men.
Of the 94 million affected, fewer than 20 percent are blind, while the rest suffer from impaired vision.
- 2030 vision -
The WHO said that over the past two decades, global cataract surgery coverage had increased by 15 percent.
In 2021, WHO member states set a target of a 30-percent increase by 2030.
However, current modelling predicts that cataract surgery coverage will rise by only about 8.4 percent this decade.
To close the gap, the WHO urged countries to integrate eye examinations into primary health care and invest in the required surgical equipment.
States should also expand the eye-care workforce, training surgeons in a standardised manner and then distributing them throughout the country, notably outside major cities.
The WHO was on Wednesday launching new guidance for countries on how to provide quality cataract surgery services.
It will also issue guidance to help support workforce development.
Keel said the main issue was capacity and financing.
“We do need money invested to get rid of this backlog, which is nearly 100 million people,” he told a press conference.
While age is the primary risk factor for cataracts, others include prolonged UV-B light exposure, tobacco use, prolonged corticosteroid use and diabetes.
Keel urged people to keep up regular eye checks as they get older, with most problems able to be either prevented or diagnosed and treated.
The cost of the new lens that goes inside the eye can be under $100.
However, out-of-pocket costs can be higher when not covered by health insurance.
“Cataract surgery is one of the most powerful tools we have to restore vision and transform lives,” said Devora Kestel, head of the WHO’s noncommunicable diseases and mental health department.
“When people regain their sight, they regain independence, dignity, and opportunity.”
