A major crisis has hit the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, on which we have anti-trafficking operations. The large city of Palu has been decimated by a massive earthquake and tsunami. Isolated by infrastructure damage and lacking in water, food and shelter, safety and security have become a major concern within the city. As active members of the region, we desire to help with the massive and aid and rescue operations.
Hundreds of thousands of people are trapped in a devastated city with few resources. A concerted, international aid and rescue plan is needed to get immediate help to the residents of Palu before a long-term recovery plan can be implemented.
As an active and known entity in this region, we believe it is within our mission to lend help to the people affected by this disaster. We have people on the ground ready to be deployed to help with the recovery/rescue efforts as well as relationships with regional law enforcement and community and religious leaders with whom we can cooperate and resource.
The affected region will be in recovery for years to come. There is a possibility that child trafficking and related crimes could increase as a result of the long-term instability in the region. A major part of our anti-trafficking mission is the health and development of the communities we work with. As such, we hope to get ahead of that potential now by helping to stabilize this region as quickly as possible.
