URGENT: Earthquake and Tsunami Devastate Indonesia

JAKARTA, (December 27, 2018) - CARE has distributed 200 hygiene kits containing sarong, toothbrushes, soap, detergent, sanitary pads and buckets for people living in affected villages and displacement camps following the most recent tsunami in the Sunda Strait, Indonesia.

The numbers of affected continues to rise. Nearly 22,000 people have now been displaced as a result of the tsunami. This is largely because people are leaving coastal homes for fear of another tsunami as the Mount Krakatau volcano remains active. Most people are now living in large displacement camps, sometimes with over 600 people per camp and limited access to basic services such as sanitation and clean water.

CARE emergency experts have also carried out a rapid gender assessment to understand the specific needs of women and girls post-tsunami through consultations with women in a number of affected villages. Women and girls are often the worst affected by natural disasters and have different and specific needs. The sanitary pads CARE is providing have also been particularly well received as there is a real shortage among women who have lost everything including basic sanitary products.

CARE has had a presence in the Serang Regency – one of the areas affected by the tsunami – since 2015. This has allowed the humanitarian organization to quickly respond after this tsunami. Since the latest warnings to stay away from the coast, CARE emergency response staff have had to take alternative routes to access affected communities. CARE is closely monitoring the very worrying ongoing activity of the Mount Krakatau volcano in case of further eruptions and devastation.

Yesterday marked 14 years since the Indian Ocean tsunami that killed 230,000 people across 14 countries. More recently, Indonesia has also faced three different natural disasters in the last six months. “We were about to commemorate three months since the Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami which killed over 2,000 people and has left tens of thousands more in need, when this latest tsunami happened. Our staff in the country have been doing all they can, some have been working continuously since the Lombok disaster in July, often far from their families, and under very difficult conditions,” says Helen Vanwel, CARE’s country director in Indonesia.

"We are very happy to hear the government of Indonesia’s commitment to build a new disaster warning system in the new year. We engage communities where we work in disaster preparedness programs, and the close succession of three natural disasters in the last six months has shown how crucial this is in saving lives and preventing damage. We have already heard that over 400 fishing boats and nearly 1,000 houses were destroyed by the tsunami. This also means hundreds of livelihoods and homes have been destroyed,” notes Vanwel. Many of the communities in those areas rely on fishing to make ends meet.

Thank you for your continued support as CARE responds to the natural disasters in Indonesia.  We could not deliver on our mission with you and greatly appreciate your investment in women and girls around the world.

SOURCE: https://www.care.org/newsroom/press/press-releases/indonesia-care-distributes-200-kits-to-survivors-amid-fear-further

Links:

• https://www.care.org/newsroom/press/press-releases/indonesia-care-distributes-200-kits-to-survivors-amid-fear-further