Mercy Malaysia needs RM500,000 for aid in Laos, Lombok disasters

KUALA LUMPUR: Mercy Malaysia needs RM500,000 to launch humanitarian aid missions in Laos and Lombok, Indonesia, following the recent disasters in both countries.

Its assistant secretary-general, Ahmad Faezal Mohamed, who is also the head of the humanitarian mission to Laos, said the funds were required to provide medical assistance and basic necessities, such as blankets, food and potable water.

He said Mercy planned to repair and rebuild about 300 homes in place of thousands which had been damaged, with more than 16,000 people displaced due to the massive tropical storm Son-Tinh.

“We deployed a team consisting of nine members, including two medical personnel, to Laos on July 27.

“They are there to provide first aids and medical treatment to the victims, especially those with chronic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension, who may have lost their medication in the floods.

“A makeshift clinic was set up in Attapeu on Sunday for medical consultation by the team,” he said, adding that the nine-member team would return on Aug 13 and a new team would be sent to replace them.

The floods triggered by SonTinh worsened following the burst of the hydroelectric Xepien-Xenamnoyu dam in Attapeu Province, causing 349 villages in 41 districts to be inundated.

Yesterday, Maybank Foundation became the first to contribute RM200,000 to the relief fund.

Maybank Foundation chief executive officer Shahril Azuar Jimin presented the donation to Mercy Malaysia president Datuk Dr Ahmad Faizal Perdaus at a simple ceremony.

AirAsia Foundation, too, had pledged to support the mission by providing flights to the disaster zone for the first 14 days.

Speaking after the ceremony at the Mercy headquarters in Menara Oval Damansara, the head of relief mission for Lombok, Mercy executive council member Norazam Abu Samah said four relief workers left for the island yesterday to provide emergency assistance, and to evaluate the situation.

“They will assess the extent of damage caused by the earthquake before returning home in a week’s time.

“Following their reports and assessments, we will decide on the number of relief workers to be sent there,” he said.

Faezal said Mercy welcomed any amount of contribution.

“Any contribution will be a great help as the organisations’ buffer funds are insufficient to finance the whole mission.”

Donations can be banked into Maybank account 5621-79504126.