Panama Expresses Condolences to Indonesia Over Flood Victims

The Government of Panama expressed on Tuesday its "deepest condolences" to Indonesia for the floods that have caused at least 750 deaths and more than 550 missing people in that Asian nation. Indonesia stands as the country most affected by the floods and landslides caused by the rains of recent days, concentrated in Sumatra, the second largest island in the archipelago, located in the westernmost part of the country. Indonesia and Sri Lanka are searching for survivors amid severe floods affecting countries in South and Southeast Asia, including Thailand, with around 1,300 dead and hundreds missing in total due to the effects of the heavy rains that have been ravaging the region for weeks. "Panama joins the mourning of the affected families and extends its solidarity to the entire nation," stated a communique from the Panamanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which pointed to the "urgent need" for the world to act jointly and in solidarity to combat climate change. The Center for Economic and Legal Studies (CELIOS), based in Jakarta, pointed out in a report that the causes of the "ecological disaster" were deforestation in the affected region, as well as the expansion of oil palm plantations and mining activities. The National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB) reported on Tuesday of nearly 750 deaths and more than 550 missing, through a website created to monitor the effects of the bad weather.