1,200 PACKS OF HERO MEALS DISTRIBUTED BY IDS FOR FLOODS RELIEF IN SOOK
5 MAY 2025
A representative from the IDS D-Hub team (second from left) hands over Hero Meal packs to Sook District Officer, Ms. Caroline Benjamin Jiungan (centre).
KOTA KINABALU (MONDAY): Prolonged heavy rainfall over the past week has triggered widespread flooding across several interior districts of Sabah, with Sook identified as the worst-affected area. A total of 1,000 flood victims have been evacuated to four temporary evacuation centres, surpassing the number of flood victims recorded in Beaufort and Sipitang. The evacuation centres currently operating in Sook include SK Pekan Keningau 2, Dewan Kampung Ansip Tengah, Dewan Datuk Ellron Angin, and Dewan Masyarakat Sook.
In response to the urgent needs on the ground, the Institute for Development Studies (Sabah) (IDS), through its Disaster Monitoring Hub (D-Hub), mobilised a humanitarian mission in collaboration with Kembara Kitchen and the CIMB Foundation. On Monday, 5 May 2025, a total of 1,200 packs of ready-to-eat (Hero Meals) were delivered to the Sook District Office for distribution to affected flood victims.
This initiative, part of IDS’s ongoing corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts, prioritises the delivery of ready-to-eat meals that require no preparation, ensuring food can be provided quickly and safely to victims whose access to cooking facilities has been disrupted by the floods.
Earlier on 15 April 2025, IDS had also deployed a separate relief effort to Sook, distributing 40 boxes of RTE meals to flood victims at two evacuation centres, marking IDS early response to the flood crisis.
Through the D-Hub platform, IDS remains committed to delivering timely, coordinated support to disaster-affected communities across Sabah. IDS also encourages collaboration from all sectors, including government agencies, NGOs, and the general public, to strengthen collective efforts in responding to crises and ensuring the well-being of vulnerable communities.
