Another six isolated Temiar villages in the interior of the Betis and Nenggiri Rivers in Kelantan were served by helicopter aid drops on Wednesday, 7 January. This was again made possible as a result of UNITED SIKHS working with the local JOAS committee based at Kampung Parik in Kuala Betis, Gua Musang.
The six villages were Kampung Tapai, Kampung Bringg/Beriq, Kuala Wok, Pos Ber, Kampung Kenbern and Kampung Perawas. The supplies included mainly foodstuffs and baby provisions, plus quantities of medicines and ikan bilis. Each sortie delivered about 300kg of supplies.
These communities, with the exception of Pos Ber now, have been totally cut off from the main communication lines after the floods of December 24th. But some of them have also been isolated since the beginning of December, or earlier, when the monsoons began. Landslides, soil movements and broken bridges destroyed the roads in areas, making accessibility with the lowland centres impossible.
Main difficulty faced by the Orang Asli here is the lack of sufficient food. The hill-padi and ubi kayu (tapioca) crops have been destroyed by the unprecedented floods, and the usual subsistence food sources are difficult to get because of the wet weather.
CN-COAC | 8 January 2015
Making sure that each load has the required items.
The JOAS committee members organizing the loading.
Supplies laid out according to sorties (kampung drops).
Braving the sand-storm caused by the helicopter’s rotorblades.
Kampung Bringg on the Nenggirri River.
Villagers arriving to greet the heli.
Village landing point.
Each stop was only for about 10 minutes befroe we had to take off again to reload for another destination.
Taking off from Kuala Wook.
Some of the JOAS local action committee members with the JOAS-Semenanjung members who came to help.
JOAS coordinator Yein conducting a defriefing with the local committee