Indonesia earthquake and tsunami appeal

Our Emergency Response Team on the ground in Indonesia

INDONESIA TSUNAMI APPEAL

THANK YOU FOR HELPING US REACH CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN DESPERATE NEED AFTER THE TSUNAMI IN INDONESIA

On Friday 28 September, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake, followed by a tsunami, struck the region of Sulawesi in Indonesia, followed by more than 100 aftershocks which continued over the weekend.

Over 2,000 people are now known to have died in the disaster with thousands more injured, and more than 80,000 people have been displaced. Thousands of homes, buildings and essential infrastructure have been destroyed, with electricity supplies still disrupted and landslides continuing to affect access to the area by road.

Following the disaster, we launched a large-scale emergency response and hope to reach 10,000 families with essential supplies over the next six months. Our teams are on the ground and have visited communities in Palu, Sigi and Parigi Moutong, to assess the urgent needs of affected children and their families.

Mrs Hartini in the tent she and her family are sharing with two other families in Palu.
Mrs Hartini in the tent she and her family are sharing with two other families in Palu. "We will probably have to live here for some time now. We don't have anywhere else to go," she says.

'We don't have anywhere else to go'

Following the disaster in Indonesia, thousands of children and their families are living in tents and temporary shelters, where they’re facing desperate conditions.

“The electricity is still off, there is no access to clean water and sanitation facilities are limited,” explains Vanda Lengkong, a member of our Emergency Response Team. 

Mrs Hartini and her family are now living in a camp for displaced people, after their home was destroyed. “I am sharing my tent with two other families, there are 16 people living under one tent,” she says.

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An update from our emergency response team

Vanda Lengkong, a member of our Emergency Response Team, reports on the devastation following the earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia.

Supplies arrive following the earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia
Hygiene and shelter kits being distributed by our teams in Palu, Indonesia.

OUR RESPONSE IN EMERGENCIES

Our teams in Indonesia have previously responded to earthquakes in Aceh in 2016 and in Lombok earlier this year.

They are currently distributing essential shelter and hygiene kits and drinking water to affected communities, and plan to reach 10,000 families with emergency support over the next six months.

In the coming weeks our teams will also be providing vital services and facilities following the disaster, including support for children to continue their education and psychosocial support for children and their families.

Our first child-friendly space being set up in Palu.
Our first child-friendly space being set up in Palu. Here children will have the chance to play together again after the disaster.

MEETING THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN

The UN has estimated that more than 46,000 children are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance following the disaster in Indonesia. Many have been separated from their families and are suffering from emotional trauma following their experiences.

Our teams in Indonesia will be prioritising the needs of children, to ensure girls and boys are protected from exploitation and can regain a sense of security and normality in their lives as soon as possible. As well as providing psychological support, our teams are working to set up child-friendly spaces, where children and young people can meet and play safely together while their schools remain closed.

Note for sponsors: the areas affected by the earthquake and tsunami are not sponsorship areas, and we do not believe any sponsored children or their families have been affected.