By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Jan 3: Food supplies and basic necessities for flood victims in Sarawak are sufficient, with early preparations and continuous restocking in place to meet rising demands should evacuation numbers increase.
In a Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas) news, Minister of Women, Family, and Community Development and Santubong MP, Dato Sri Nancy Shukri, said forward bases and disaster supply depots were activated early to ensure aid could be distributed without delay.
“All preparations were made well in advance. If supplies are deployed, we will immediately replenish them so that no shortages occur, particularly food, drinks, and basic needs for victims,” she said after visiting the Temporary Evacuation Centre (PPS) at Surau Ar-Rahman, Kampung Sungai Batu on Friday (Jan 2).
She noted that Sarawak has several disaster supply depots in Limbang, Kuching, and Samarahan, along with mini-depots at strategic locations, all currently on standby.
Beyond physical needs, emotional support is also being prioritised through the Psychosocial Support Team (PST), comprising around 270 members and 230 Social Welfare Department (JKM) volunteers ready for deployment at any time.
“This approach is vital to ensure victims, especially children, do not suffer emotional distress while at the PPS, through activities and counselling sessions,” she said.
On evacuation capacity, Nancy stated that Sarawak has 9,058 registered PPS nationwide, capable of accommodating up to two million victims, utilising community halls and schools kept in a constant state of readiness.
She stressed that opening and operating these centers is done in stages according to necessity, ensuring victim safety, while urging the public to evacuate and register if their homes are affected by floods.
These preparedness efforts are carried out in an integrated manner with local authorities, security agencies, and government officials, whose leave has been frozen to ensure smooth disaster management.
As of Friday, 10 PPS are active in Sarawak, sheltering 1,181 victims from 304 households. They include:
- Stapok Community Hall: 178 victims
- Dewan Sinar Budi: 208 victims (highest)
- Surau Ar-Rahman, Kampung Sungai Batu: 52 victims
- Surau Nurul Najihin, Kampung Stapok: 56 victims
- Taman Malihah Multipurpose Hall: 163 victims
- SJKC Chung Hua Sungai Tengah: 179 victims
- SJKC Chung Hua Batu Kawa: 205 victims
- Masjid Darul Istiqlal, Kampung Sungai Maong: 7 victims
- Samarahan Civic Centre (Samarahan Division): 23 victims from 8 households
- Trusan Community Hall Lawas: 39 victims from 7 households
Also present during the visit was Sarawak Minister for Women, Childhood, and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah. — DayakDaily
