Malaysia Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi previously said his country had offered a firefighting aircraft, three helicopters and 52 officers and personnel to assist with firefighting operations in Indonesia.
Meanwhile, Singapore Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said on Oct 10 that she had been in touch with her Indonesian counterpart Jumhur Hidayat, adding that Singapore is prepared to help Indonesia in fighting forest fires wherever necessary amid the ongoing haze.
Prabowo on Monday also directed that firefighting in Central Kalimantan’s Tanjung Puting National Park, a stronghold for orangutans and other wildlife, be prioritised. Tanjung Puting is the world’s largest conservation and rehabilitation centre for orangutans.
Conditions in four provinces – Riau, West Kalimantan, Jambi and South Kalimantan – are showing signs of improvement, Teddy said.
Between Aug 18 and Sep 21, Indonesia’s health ministry recorded close to 175,000 cases of acute respiratory infections in areas affected by forest and land fires. Of these, over 40,000 cases involved children under the age of five.
The ministry said last month it was strengthening health posts and hospitals to serve people experiencing health problems posed by the land and forest fires.