Jakarta
Days of downpours caused huge floods in the Indonesian capital this week, killing dozens and sending more than 400,000 fleeing to higher ground. Stranded residents were forced to swim through filthy water to get food and medicine. Health officials said skin diseases and diarrhea were quickly spreading. We have to be alert for diseases like typhoid, those transmitted by rats, and respiratory infections, said Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari. Hopefully, there will be no dysentery. Jakarta, a city of 12 million, floods nearly every year, but usually only the slum areas are affected. The government is taking unprecedented relief action this year, as well-off neighborhoods are also under water.
