Youth volunteers deliver food to flood-hit villagers in Kelantan

TANAH MERAH: A group of youths has volunteered to brave flood conditions and travel over three kilometres (km) to deliver fresh chicken and coconut milk to stranded villagers in Kampung Kulim, Gual, Ipoh here yesterday.

The eight friends, aged 13 to 23, braved 0.3 to 0.5-metre deep floodwaters at Jalan Gual Ipoh-Kusial while carrying over 30 fresh chickens and coconut milk each.

One of them, Mohd Afiq Aiman Ramli, 22, said they decided to help the stranded villagers for free because they were concerned that they might run out of food.

"The villagers called the chicken supplier before we offered to deliver the food. We went as a group for safety reasons and to ensure that the roads were safe for travel even with the floods.

"This is the first time we volunteered for such a thing but the floods were bad this time around,” he said when met by reporters at Jalan Gual Ipoh-Kusial, yesterday.

Mohd Afiq said they started off at 10 am and crossed two flooded areas to deliver the food to the villagers, all the time concerned about the rising floodwaters. Aiman Fauzi, 13, meanwhile, said he did not fear braving the floods with his friends to deliver food to the villagers.

"We walked from Kampung Liku through floodwaters to Kampung Kulim before riding a villager’s boat to the affected area. Thus far, we have only brought fresh chicken and coconut milk based on villagers’ requests...I myself was shivering from the cold after braving the floodwaters but was determined to help,” he said, adding that his parents gave permission for him to volunteer for the delivery.

Meanwhile in Pasir Mas, the water level of Sungai Golok rose drastically following heavy rain since Tuesday, forcing more than 10 families in Kampung Lubuk Setol to seek shelter at a relief centre.

Nik Din Nik Salleh, 82, told Bernama when met at Dewan Rukun Tetangga Lubuk Setol in Rantau Panjang that he and his fellow villagers had to brave chest-high floodwaters to reach the main road some 50 metres away.

For Rohani Cik Ghani, 47, evacuating to the relief centre has become something on an annual ritual for her and her husband along with their two children. A total of 35 people from over 20 families have been housed at the centre since 11 am yesterday.

As Sungai Golok burst its banks, several roads connecting Rantau Panjang to Tanah Merah were only accessible to four-wheel-drive and heavy vehicles.

The water level of Sungai Golok stands at 10.48 metres, exceeding the danger level of nine metres.

-- BERNAMA