USA TODAY International Edition
Relief groups turning out for Indonesia
World Vision official: Death toll may increase
Relief workers are mobilizing to help devastated areas and rescue teams are desperately hunting for survivors in the aftermath of a fierce earthquake and tsunami that hammered Indonesia. More than 1,200 people have been confirmed dead in the twin disasters that unfolded Friday when a magnitude 7.5 quake triggered a tsunami that swallowed homes and pulverized neighborhoods. That number is expected to rise as first responders reach remote areas. Conditions in the hard-hit city of Palu on the coast are particularly difficult because the quake caused a phenomenon called liquefaction, which occurs when loose water-filled soil near the surface collapses, said the country’s disaster agency spokesman, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho. “Hundreds of victims” are still buried in the mud, he said. Relief groups, many of which have a long history in Indonesia, are facing a daunting task less than two months after another quake rocked the nation’s Lombok Island, killing more than 400 people and displacing thousands. Flooding from Friday’s tsunami cut off roads to some villages, and food and clean water are in short supply. Some groups are having to travel 10 hours to reach the disaster zone because of access issues, the Red Cross reports. Looters are also making security an issue. Thousands of people, mostly women with children – some pregnant – packed the airport in Palu in a futile attempt to board an Indonesian Air Force plane to escape the disaster. “The smell of death is strong in the air, and it could start impacting people’s health after four days ... I’m afraid the death toll is going to continue to rise dramatically,” said Radika Pinto, with humanitarian aid agency World Vision in Palu. Here is a list of some of the groups responding to the disaster and ways you can help:
❚ International Medical Corps, a global first-response team, has staff on the ground to provide emergency health care services, including trauma surgery and medicine.
❚ Mercy Corps, a global humanitarian organization, has mobilized a team of emergency responders, including experts in disaster response. Essentials such as clean water, food and cash are most needed, the group says.
❚ World Vision has deployed a team for search and rescue, set up feeding centers for infants and children and will be distributing hygiene kits, blankets and emergency tarps.
❚ Food for the Hungry, a Phoenixbased nonprofit tackling global poverty, is partnering with its Indonesian staff and other NGOs to respond to this disaster by raising money and deploying other resources.
❚ Direct Relief, a humanitarian aid group, is working with the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance, which oversees international disaster relief in Southeast Asia, on assessing health needs in hard-hit areas.
❚ Global Giving, a global crowdfunding source, is helping connect dozen of nonprofits in Indonesia with donors to provide relief services.
❚ Project Hope, a health and humanitarian relief organization, has deployed a medical team to the island of Sulawesi to address health needs.
❚ Save the Children, an international children’s agency, has an emergency response team on the ground and is planning to set up child-friendly spaces in shelters for those who have lost their homes and will supply diapers and cribs.
❚ UNICEF, the United Nation’s Children’s Fund, is working with authorities to reunite separated children with families, provide clean water through mobile water treatment and support infant and child feeding.
❚ Oxfam, a confederation of independent charities targeting global poverty, is working with local partners to provide essential aid supplies.
❚ Americares, a global health agency, is deploying emergency response experts to the disaster zone.
❚ The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, a New York citybased relief group, is distributing tarps, mattresses, generators and food and mineral water.