The world of Tzu Chi February 2020 (Vol.119)

2020 • 02 40 At the end of 2019, heavy rainfall in Sabah had caused Sungai Padas to swell to hazardous levels, flooding villages in Tenom, Membakut, Beaufort and other locations across the region. On December 11, 2019, a group of volunteers delivered relief supplies to 450 flood victims seeking shelter at an evacuation centre in Beaufort. The volunteers headed to the evacuation centre again on December 22 to extend concern to the victims after another round of severe floods struck the region. Over 300 evacuees had returned home by then, while 141 evacuees from three villages remained in the centre as the floodwaters had yet to subside. The volunteers wasted no time in replenishing the victims’ supplies of dry rations and sundry goods, besides offering comfort to the victims. Kota Kinabalu 2019.12.11 & 12.22 Reported and photograph by Tse Ning Siong On December 26, 2019, three half concrete, half wooden houses in Kampung Sembulan Baru were destroyed in a fire, suspected to be caused by faulty wiring.Atotal of 113 casualties from 33 households residing in partitioned rooms in the houses were left homeless and were temporarily housed in the nearby Sembulan multipurpose hall. The Social Welfare Department gathered relief supplies donated by various charitable organizations and delivered the items to the fire victims, in addition to distributing school uniforms, schoolbags and school shoes to schoolgoing children. On December 28, the volunteers were notified that the victims were in immediate need of cash relief. Following that, the volunteers visited the affected families and began compiling name lists of the victims, before dispensing financial aid to them on December 31 to defray back-to-school expenses. Timely Assistance for Victims of Village Fire Kota Kinabalu 2019.12.31 Reported and photograph by Tse Ning Siong Relief Supplies for FloodVictims