The worst flooding since 2014 has left at least 48 people dead and five missing as the country seeks funding to develop plans to adapt to climate change.

Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yacob is under fire as residents accuse the government of being too slow to respond to the country’s worst flooding in years.

Days of torrential rain last week caused rivers to overflow, submerging cities, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes and killing dozens.

Damaged appliances and water-soaked furniture piled up on the streets and outside homes in flood-hit areas as residents and volunteers continued large-scale cleanup efforts.

Affected residents were frustrated with authorities, and many were still asking where help could be found.

“I am angry. There is no help from the government…We need cash to rebuild our lives,” said Asniyati Ismail, who lives in a residential area in Shah Alam, the capital of Selangor state.

“There was mud everywhere and everything was destroyed,” she told AFP news agency as her two children helped clean up.

Piles of garbage left in the area after the floods have also sparked fears of a disease outbreak.

Selangor, which surrounds Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur, was the state worst hit by flooding.

Many people in Shah Alam district were left stranded in their homes with little food for days before being evacuated by boat in a chaotic rescue operation.

“The government’s rescue efforts have been very slow,” resident Kartik Rao told AFP.

“And now their cleanup operations are delayed. Seven days later, the garbage in this neighborhood has not been cleared.”

climate change risk

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri acknowledged “weaknesses” in the flood response but promised improvements in the future.

“This post-flood work requires appropriate coordination as we do not want to delay the implementation process, including providing assistance to flood victims,” ​​the prime minister said during a visit to affected areas in Selangor on Sunday. He was quoted as saying in Malay Mail. .

“We also need to prepare for a second wave of flooding if it happens.”

Malaysia suffers from floods every year during the monsoon season, which runs from November to February, but this month’s floods were the worst since 2014.

At least 48 people have been killed and five are missing across Malaysia as a result of the floods, authorities said.

Global warming is said to be associated with worsening flooding.

Climate change increases the risk and intensity of flooding from extreme rainfall events because a warmer atmosphere can hold more water.

Kawita Maratha, 39, and her four children were rescued by boat after floodwaters quickly rose to the second floor of their home in Shah Alam.

her husband died.

“The floods destroyed our lives,” she said.

Amid deadly flooding, the government announced on Monday that it is seeking $3 million from the United Nations Green Climate Fund (GCF) to develop a national plan to adapt to climate change.

In response to questions posed to the Ministry of Environment and Water on Malaysia’s approach to climate adaptation, Secretary-General Zaini Ujyan told Reuters that the ministry has asked the GCF Fund to help develop a national adaptation plan by the end of next year. He said he would request it.

Zaini said in a written response that the plan will focus on areas such as water, agriculture and food security, public health, forestry and infrastructure.

“The department also has a long-term plan calling for a climate fund that can support the implementation of programs to address the effects of climate change,” he said.