Floods and landslides following heavy rains have forced well over 15,000 persons to flee their homes in the province of Aceh, on the northern tip of Indonesia's Sumatra Island, media reports said Thursday.
An official of the local disaster management service said more than 3,000 houses were under water since December 5 and more than 15,000 residents have taken shelter in emergency tents. However, there were no casualties reported.
The Indonesian authorities are sending humanitarian and medical aid to the affected region. They blame man-made climate change and widespread deforestation for the protracted flooding in the area. Aceh loses around 20,000 hectares of forest each year.
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