The North Aceh regency administration'€™s spokesperson, Amir Hamzah, said on Friday that the refugees had been evacuated two days ago and there was no sign of floodwaters receding in the affected villages.

'€œThe evacuation teams, made up of soldiers, policemen, Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) officials and volunteers, are continuing their efforts to evacuate more people from affected areas to refugee points,'€ Amir said, as quoted by Antara news agency.

Amir explained that the flooding that had hit North Aceh was 1-2 meters deep and considered some of the worst to have hit the region in the last few decades.

The floods have inundated 25 districts and refugees are spread across 365 refugee stations. The area is also without electricity due to one of the main sub-stations being submerged.

So far, no fatalities have been reported in the floods.

Evacuation efforts are, however, being hit with logistical problems. The regency administration has requested logistical assistance from the provincial administration and the central government in Jakarta.

'€œThe evacuation process is being stifled by a lack of adequate equipment. We are experiencing these problems because the logistical capabilities of the regency are stretched thin, with waters not expected to recede anytime soon,'€ Amir noted.

The North Aceh regency administration has 100 tons of rice ready to be distributed to refugees. About 70 tons has already been distributed.

Meanwhile, flooding has also inundated a segment of highway linking the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, with Medan, the provincial capital of neighboring North Sumatra. The road is under some 80 centimeters of water, blocking traffic. (dyl/nvn)(+++)

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