JAKARTA - Indonesian forest fires are putting nearly 10 million children at risk from air pollution, the United Nations warned on Tuesday (Sept 24), as scientists said the blazes were releasing vast amounts of greenhouse gases.
The fires have been spewing toxic haze over South-east Asia in recent weeks, closing schools and airports, with people rushing to buy face masks and seek medical treatment for respiratory ailments.
Jakarta has deployed tens of thousands of personnel and water-bombing aircraft to tackle the slash-and-burn blazes set to clear agricultural land. The fires are an annual problem but this year are the worst since 2015 due to dry weather.
Almost 10 million people under 18 - about a quarter below five - live in the areas worst affected by fires on Indonesia's Sumatra island and the country's part of Borneo island, the UN children's agency Unicef said.
Small children are especially vulnerable due to undeveloped immune systems while babies born to mothers exposed to pollution during pregnancy may have low birth weights and be delivered early, they said.
from Asia
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