More than 55,000 victims evacuated due to severe flooding in Malaysia! ~ Dec. 22, 2022

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4,642 views Dec 20, 2022 Severe flooding in parts of Malaysia has resulted in the displacement of 56,159 people in five states, according to government data on Tuesday.

The worst-hit areas are along the east coast of the peninsula, with 17,326 flood victims from Kelantan state and 37,792 flood victims from Terengganu state evacuated to flood relief centers. The water levels of eight major rivers had surpassed the danger point. The rivers include Sungai Lebir in Kampung Tualang, Kuala Krai (41.57m), Sungai Golok in Kampung Jenob, Tanah Merah (24.01m), and Sungai Golok in Rantau Panjang, Pasir Mas (10.8m).

A total of 131 students of Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) have been evacuated after floods hit their rented homes in Pengkalan Chepa, Bachok and Jeli last Sunday. The sudden rise in water levels in areas surrounding Besut Hospital, Setiu Hospital, and Hulu Terengganu Hospital has cut off land access to the government hospitals that can now only be accessed via water or air transport.

The government has allocated 400 million ringgit (122 million Singapore dollars) to the National Disaster Management Agency for early preparedness initiatives in flood areas, and more funds will be provided when needed. Malaysia’s meteorological department has issued warnings for continuous rain through Thursday, calling the situation in Terengganu hazardous.

The agency had earlier said that the wet weather is expected to last until early 2023 due to an active La Nina and negative Indian Ocean Dipole concurrences. Floods in the Southeast Asian country have become a yearly phenomenon, triggered by the north-east monsoon that brings heavy rain from November to March.