Indonesia Deploys Thousands Against Wildfires as 3.4 Million Face Respiratory Risk
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Aug 25
Indonesia Deploys Thousands Against Wildfires as 3.4 Million Face Respiratory Risk
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Aug 25
Summary
Dozens of helicopters, aircraft and water pumps, backed by thousands of personnel, have been deployed as wildfires keep burning across Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Java and Papua.
El Nino-driven drought and dried peatland are accelerating the blazes, while crews in West Kalimantan report water shortages, poor visibility and inadequate protective gear that could prolong the crisis.
3.4 million people are at risk of respiratory infections, the Health Ministry said, after distributing more than 260,000 masks to residents in the hardest-hit areas.
50 to 70 patients a day are arriving at one West Kalimantan clinic with coughs and sore throats, as schools close and families keep children indoors amid persistent haze and ash.
The fires have burned for more than a month and are described by local volunteers as the worst in years, echoing the scale of Indonesia's 2016 fire season.
Why do Indonesia's devastating peatland fires continue to choke Southeast Asia despite massive international firefighting efforts and annual government pledges?
As toxic haze shuts down foreign schools, will neighboring nations finally hold agricultural corporations accountable for these recurring fires?