Please, says Mercy

> Palu relief team unable to accept donations in kind due to logistics problem

KUALA LUMPUR: Mercy Malaysia has urged Malaysians to contribute cash to its Palu relief fund rather than in kind as logistics and transport remain a major problem in disaster-struck Sulawesi.

Norazam Ab Samah, Mercy Malaysia’s executive council member and team leader of the Palu relief team, said fuel is costly and scarce at the moment.

“Many have offered to collect old clothes, donate mineral water or other items as a show of solidarity towards our Sulawesi neighbours but we are unable to accept donations in kind as logistics and transport remain a major problem,” he said in a statement yesterday.

“On top of flight charges, there are also customs charges and other fees that make it hugely uneconomical to bring aid items across,” he added.

“While the people in Palu urgently need shelter, food, water and personal care items, these are best purchased locally to help revive the economy,” he said.

Norazam urged Malaysians to be creative in extending assistance to those affected, such as raising funds through a charity car wash, holding a fund-raising movie night or passing the hat around in their local community.

Funds can then be transmitted to NGOs already on the ground to build shelter, purchase food packs and sanitary items in addition to providing medical care to people in hard-to-reach areas in Palu.

Mercy also urged Malaysians to donate to its Palu Relief Fund which stood at RM447,451.63 at the last count yesterday.

Mercy also updated that its Emergency Medical Team (EMT) donated spinal block (anaesthetic medications for lower limbs)

(MBB 5621 7950 4126)

to Indonesian NGO Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C) for 60 patients to help in their surgeries yesterday morning.

Mercy Malaysia has a team of 13 volunteers on the ground, conducting medical clinics, assessments for Emergency Medical Team (EMT) and aid distributions.

On Sept 28, a magnitude-7.5 earthquake struck Palu, Indonesia, triggering tsunami waves of up to 5m in height which then hit the island of Sulawesi.

As of yesterday, Indonesia’s national disaster management agency reported 1,763 deaths, with 67,000 houses damaged and 71,000 people displaced.