A family in Batumerah, Ambon, Indonesia tries to flee floodwaters August 1st. Thousands of homes in Ambon, Maluku were flooded and washed away due to the overflow of several rivers on the island of Ambon. The flood caused 13 deaths and displaced 6,179 people. [Photos by Petrus Oratmangun/Khabar].

The recent floods that ravaged Ambon have prompted residents to put aside their religious differences and work together to rebuild their community.

"We are only concerned about how we can live and not thinking about the conflict," Netty Rahalu, a 36 year-old resident of Ambon City, told Khabar Southeast Asia. "I think most Muslims and Christians are aware that humanitarian efforts at this point are important."

"The government will also not allot humanitarian aid based on religion. We are all Ambonese after all," Netty added.

The heavy rains and flash floods that struck August 1st left 13 dead and displaced over 6,000. Thousands of houses were damaged; vast regions were left without power; and transportation was paralyzed due to damaged roads and bridges. The government conducted evacuations with boats and rubber dinghies.

Juanda Umasugi, leader of a humanitarian team from Darussalam University in Ambon, said the floods caused many Muslims to break their fast during Ramadan, as they were forced to clean mud from their houses.

After floods subsided, drinking water remained an issue in Ambon. Many water springs became muddy and undrinkable, and the water pipes provided by government were destroyed. Residents were forced to queue to get drinking water supplied at evacuation sites.

At least five villages were left completely isolated in the district of South Leitimur (Leitisel). Many people have missed work and classes due to the infrastructure problems.

"We expect that the government will pay serious attention to our current situation – especially since our children are unable to go to schools," said Martha Pattipeilohy, Chairman of the Protestant Church of Maluku (Gereja Protestant Maluku/GPM).

According to the Jakarta Globe, the National Disaster Management Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has already provided Rp 6.125 billion ($650,000) to the Maluku administration to help with recovery from the disaster.

Out of that amount, around Rp 250m ($26,315) will go towards emergency response efforts, while the rest will be used to relocate thousands of displaced Ambonese and rebuild homes destroyed in the landslide. Further assistance will be determined as the authorities assess the damage and allocate funds from state, provincial and municipal budgets, Maluku Governor Karel Albert Ralahalu told reporters on August 10th.

Officials from the BNPB and the Ministry of Public Works have visited Ambon to observe the situation, and will report directly to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Netty, meanwhile, is urging her fellow residents to come together in this time of crisis.

"I think whether you are a Muslim or a Christian, you should care for people as a human being and put aside your identity. There are many children around the city who need a place to live while awaiting further assistance," she told Khabar.

Yenny Herawati contributed to this article