While Australia is on fire and tensions in the Middle East are rising, Indonesia has some problems of their own to handle. 

Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, has been overrun with rampant floods that resulted from a heavy rainfall on New Year’s Eve. The rain first caused landslides and flash floods, which had easily displaced nearly 40,000 people in Jakarta and buried dozens of others. Gradually, the rains became the start of one of the worst floods Indonesia has ever faced. The amount of rain that has amassed is equivalent to 72,000 olympic swimming pools. “I can’t believe that we’re not even learning this stuff in class,” Mikayla King, an eighth-grader at McAuliffe Middle School, states. “It sounds pretty important.”

Comparisons are being made between this current flood and the flood of 7 years ago, which resulted in a casualty count of 29. Recent counts revealed that the death toll is at 66 for this year’s flood, and more rain seems to be on the way. These floods have already overturned over 180 neighborhoods as well. Poorer neighborhoods are more vulnerable to the effects of the flooding, and over 1,000 soldiers and health workers have been dispatched to use a disinfecting spray that they hope will curb any disease resulting from the floods.

Emma Simpson, another eighth-grader, can’t believe what’s happening in Jakarta. “I feel really sad for the Indonesian people. I’m literally speechless.” 

Though many of the Jakartan people are blaming the rains, landslides and floods on monsoon season, many others have been attributing the large downpour to climate change. Jakarta houses the largest uncovered landfill in all of Southeast Asia. The population has also been climbing unsteadily, so there’s many numerous water shortages. Many Indonesian people have disregarded the idea of climate change having an impact on their weather, though. 

With more rain expected to fall and Jakarta in critical condition, we need to do our best to help out the Jakartan people by donating or spreading awareness about this tragedy.