Palm Oil Fires: Putrid Haze Forces Indonesia to Evacuate Infants & Mothers

Indonesian officials have begun evacuating infants and their mothers from Riau province in Indonesia as levels of air pollution from peat and forest fires on Sumatra remain hazardous across the region. The Mayor of Pekanbaru, the capital of Riau and one of the worst-affected areas of Sumatra, issued the order to evacuate all babies under six months of age on Tuesday afternoon. Thick smog has persisted for weeks and continues to cause illness and limit visibility in the area.