INDONESIAN RELIEF EFFORTS SEEK DONATIONS
The magnitude-7.4 earthquake that hit Indonesia’s Sulawesi late last month together with the tsunami that followed took the lives of at least 2,000 people. This makes it the deadliest quake to have devastated the country since 2006 and the deadliest in the world so far in 2018. With such a large impact, over 70,000 people were left homeless. Help is desperately needed for children and families severely affected by the earthquake and subsequent giant wave. Unicef Thailand therefore plays a part in encouraging the Thai public to help with urgent donations. Realising the consequences of natural disasters that weaken not just the physical but also emotional side of the victims such as the 2004 tsunami that killed nearly 226,000 people across the Indian Ocean including around 5,000 Thais, Unicef is calling the kind-hearted to help provide financial aid to those in need while rescue efforts are now also under way. Right now the Indonesian authority estimates that 5,000 bodies could be buried beneath the ruined city where entire villages were swallowed, according to media reports. In August, a series of deadly earthquakes struck the Indonesian island of Lombok, killing more than 500 people. The humanitarian impact could even be more significant in Sulawesi, according to Unicef. To make a donation through Unicef, send an SMS with the message “100” to 4712225 to donate 100 baht. Or donations can be made via bank transfer to Kasikorn Bank current account number 008-109766-6 (Bang Lamphu Branch). Donors can then send deposit document and their information for tax receipt to fax number 02-356-9229 or email unicefthailand@unicef.org and state “for Indonesia”. Donations can also be made online via help.unicef.org/thailand/helpindonesia. In the meantime, aid workers in Indonesia are working to help the estimated 180,000 youngsters affected by the disaster. In disaster-struck Palu, efforts are being thrown into getting smiles back on kids’ faces such by bringing toys to replace those lost in the calamity. Some volunteers organised badminton and football matches, or enraptured kids with fun stories.