Nearly 900,000 Indonesians suffer breathing issues due to haze
- Poor air quality has forced Indonesia and Malaysia to close thousands of schools, with hundreds of Malaysian flights also cancelled
- Despite seriousness of problem, Jakarta is still unwilling to accept offers of help from neighbouring countries
The number of Indonesians suffering respiratory problems caused by smoke from forest and peatland fires blanketing parts of Borneo and Sumatra in the past few months is approaching 900,000, according to the authorities.
Data released late on Friday by the Crisis Mitigation Centre of Indonesia’s Ministry of Health showed that a total of 885,026 people have been suffering from acute respiratory infections.
Of the total, 291,807 cases were recorded in South Sumatra province and 268,591 cases in Riau province, both on Sumatra, followed by West Kalimantan province on Borneo with 163,662 cases.
The haze has affected air quality not only in Indonesia, but also in Malaysia, Singapore and as far away as Thailand and the Philippines.
The smog has forced Indonesia and Malaysia to close thousands of schools, with hundreds of Malaysian flights also cancelled.