Responding to floods in East Malaysia
20 April 2015
We have stores throughout Malaysia, including in Kelantan, so have seen first-hand how the monsoons have impacted our customers, colleagues and local communities.
Monsoon storms hit Kelantan on the 17th December, devastating much of the region.
Eastern states in Malaysia are often affected by flooding at this time of year, but very heavy rains and strong winds have made these the worst in decades.
Entire towns were submerged as water levels reached 30ft. 200,000 people were forced from their homes; villages were left without electricity, clean water or access to food and tragically 21 people have lost their lives.
We have stores throughout Malaysia, including in Kelantan, so have seen first-hand how the monsoons have impacted our customers, colleagues and local communities. When you witness events like these, your first instinct is to want to help and we’re in a fortunate position to be able to directly support affected communities as well as use our logistics team to facilitate aid from others.
The below film shows the terrible impact the monsoon weather has had, as well as the huge effort of volunteers, our partners, colleagues and customers who are all helping to get people back on their feet.
I’d like to thank everyone who has provided their support – it’s been overwhelming and made a huge difference.