Indonesia Earthquake & Tsunami Response

Dear Friend,

On September 28th 2018, a series of strong earthquakes struck Indonesia’s Central Sulawesi province. The strongest earthquake triggered a tsunami, which struck Palu and Donggala districts, resulting in significant damage and loss of life. Thousands of families have lost their homes and access to services, requiring relocation to safer areas. An estimated 1.9 million people were affected, including 665,000 children. Over 211,000 people are internally displaced and living in camps with many more residing in spontaneous and informal settlements.

UNICEF is responding to the earthquake-tsunami disaster in Sulawesi and Lombok under the leadership of the Government of Indonesia and in partnership with local and international NGOs. UNICEF is uniquely placed to bridge immediate humanitarian and more long-term development interventions.

UNICEF’s main priorities in the recovery and relief have been:

• Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) is a priority for UNICEF given the potential for a catastrophic outbreak of disease. The response focuses on the immediate provision of safe water, basic sanitation and community engagement around hygiene practices.
• UNICEF’s Health-sector support includes technical assistance in the prevention of vaccine-preventable diseases, malaria control, and management of newborn and childhood illnesses platform. In doing so, UNICEF facilitates health assessments to identify gaps in services for pregnant women, newborns and children under five. UNICEF is also supporting capacity development through local partners to provide immunization, malaria and essential maternal, newborn and child care packages.
• In Nutrition, UNICEF’s efforts focus on strengthening the coordination of organizations working on nutritional assessment-and-surveillance system. Additionally, UNICEF is enhancing access to emergency services, such as infant and child-feeding counseling and management of severe acute malnutrition.
• UNICEF’s Child Protection-sector response focuses on strengthening the capacity at the district and provincial level for integrated child welfare services, including case management support, birth registration and replacement of lost identity documentation.
• In Education, UNICEF supports the Government with monitoring and coordination, its creation of access to quality education and learning for school-aged children and adolescents, and provision of psycho-social support to school children, school personnel and parents/caregivers.

Thank you for your on-going support as UNICEF continues to provide relief as Indonesia moves to rebuild.

Best,

Mansi Mehta 

Dear Friend,

Thank you for your support of children impacted by the Indonesia Earthquake and Tsunami. As of late December 2018, at least 430 people have been reported dead, and an estimated 22,000 people have been displaced; most are staying with friends and relatives in nearby villages. UNICEF Indonesia is providing lifesaving supplies, along with technical assistance on nutrition and child protection issues.

UNICEF is on the ground to accompany the authorities as they assess the impact of the natural events on children, to ensure that children are at the center of the national response and their rights are upheld.

"Many children have lost their loved ones and all things familiar in their lives, and will need help to get back to some sense of normality as quickly as possible,"  UNICEF Indonesia's Amanda Bissex explains. "In the aftermath of the deadly disaster, we’re working with authorities to reunite unaccompanied and separated children with their families, support infant and young child feeding, provide clean water through mobile water treatment and help children recover."

When the tsunami of 2004 struck, UNICEF responded in the eight countries hard hit. UNICEF is now drawing from that experience to respond to the immediate needs of children and families affected by this burgeoning crisis:

Last year alone, UNICEF responded to over 300 humanitarian emergencies — from conflicts to natural disasters — in 102 countries. With more than 13,000 staff worldwide and 350 warehouses globally, UNICEF is uniquely poised to step up where help is needed most and work with local partners to deliver urgently needed supplies like safe drinking water, hygiene sanitation kits, and medicines. Trained staff offer psychosocial support and educational materials to get children back to learning and playing — and just being kids again — as soon as possible.

Would you like to learn more about UNICEF's Educational Response in Indonesia? Here is an article that highlights the arrival of 30 tonnes of emergency education materials including 65 tents for temporary classrooms, from its supply base in Dubai in direct support to the Ministry of Education and Culture’s response program.

Thank you for your support, and putting children first.