Additional Coverage:
- Indonesian wildfires cause respiratory infections to double in a week, health ministry says (nbcnews.com)
JAKARTA – Respiratory infections linked to hazardous wildfire smoke in Indonesia have surged dramatically, more than doubling in just over a week, according to the country’s health ministry data released Thursday.
Widespread fires continue to ravage forests and peatlands across the Indonesian archipelago, with the most severe impacts felt in provinces on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. This year’s wildfire season is the worst in 11 years, fueled by intense “super-El Niño” weather patterns that have driven up temperatures and triggered severe drought conditions. Currently, emissions from these fires contribute to about one-third of the global total.
As of September 9, the number of individuals suffering from wildfire-related respiratory illnesses has climbed to 113,336, a sharp increase from 50,891 cases reported just over a week earlier, health ministry spokesperson Widyawati reported during a press briefing.
More than 12.5 million people across seven provinces have been exposed to the hazardous haze generated by the fires, Widyawati added. To address the health crisis, nearly one million masks and hundreds of oxygen concentrators have been distributed, alongside the deployment of thousands of healthcare workers to affected areas. Efforts to send additional medical personnel and supplies are ongoing, with authorities monitoring where support is most urgently needed.
The transboundary haze has also degraded air quality in neighboring Singapore and Malaysia, prompting concern in the region.
In response to the escalating crisis, Japan has contributed three CH-47 Chinook helicopters to assist Indonesia’s firefighting operations. These helicopters began trial flights on Thursday and are expected to support water bombing missions in West Kalimantan, Borneo, starting later this week, according to Berton Panjaitan, spokesperson for Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency.
Malaysia, which shares a border with Indonesia on Borneo, has offered assistance through its aerial firefighting capabilities, as conveyed in a letter from its environment minister to Indonesian counterparts. Jakarta is currently coordinating inter-agency discussions regarding this offer.
Data from the government reveals that approximately 202,000 hectares (nearly 500,000 acres) have burned between January and July this year. Environmental organization YKAN estimates that an additional 600,000 hectares were affected by fires in August alone.
One of the hardest-hit areas is the city of Pontianak in West Kalimantan, where air quality index readings soared to 394 on Wednesday – well above the hazardous threshold of 300, as reported by Swiss air quality monitoring firm IQAir.
Indonesia’s environment ministry has expressed serious concern over the dangerous air quality levels in Kalimantan and other affected regions, underscoring the urgent need for continued firefighting and health interventions.