Media Contacts: Lesley Crosson, CWS/New York, 212-870-2676; lcrosson@churchworldservice.org Jan Dragin (24/7), 781-925-1526; jdragin@gis.net
NEWS UPDATE
Church World Service Teams In Indonesia Bring Aid To Java Quake Survivors, But Thousands Still In Need As World Response Begins To Arrive
***EDITORS: DOWNLOADABLE HIGH RES PHOTOS OF JAVA QUAKE SURVIVORS AVAILABLE AT: http://www.churchworldservice.org/media/hires.html
JAKARTA/WASHINGTON - Fri June 2 - Humanitarian agency Church World Service (CWS) aid workers on the island of Java in Indonesia were able to begin distributing initial emergency aid almost immediately after Saturday's 6.3 earthquake killed 5,628 people, as of today¹s reports,* and destroyed anestimated 67,505 homes. But the global agency's Indonesia staff is reporting today that, while international aid is slowly beginning to come into the region now, thousands are still in need of food and medical attention.
On Tuesday CWS formally issued a $1.2 million fundraising appeal for the quake's survivors, although online contributions spontaneously began to come in over the weekend, as news of the brutal quake began to appear.
From Washington, Church World Service Emergency Response Program Director Donna Derr says, "The international governmental community has been very responsive to the people of Java. But we need to remember that there was substantial airport damage from the quake. At this point, the airport is only able to process a few planes at any given time. "
Derr says that supplies from Jakarta that are being trucked into the affected areas are taking about six days to reach survivors.
"The good news is," she says, "supplies are in the pipeline and on their way."
According to the Indonesia's social affair's ministry, the number of those needing medical attention has risen, up to more than 46,148- more than 33,000 of those having serious injuries. According to a Voice of America report today, the World Health Organization is estimating that more than 22,000 patients have been treated in hospitals in the region over the last week.
CWS' Derr says UNICEF has set up a Children's Center on Jl. Lempuyangan 1, Yogyakarta, in response to rising concerns about orphans and children beggars on the streets. "To begin addressing that need, twenty-nine local NGOs have established a coordination network called SWARA as a mobile youth unit for baseline data collection," she said.
"At the latest coordination meeting led by UN-OCHA, responders noted the need for at least 15.000 latrines to be built in the affected areas," Derr said.
CWS is continuing to assess survivors' needs, with immediate focus on food and non-food items, health and medical services, water and sanitation. Agency teams and partners are currently responding to the needs of some 16,100 households in the districts of Bantul, Klaten and Boyolali.
In the Bantul district, as of Wednesday (May 31) CWS had already provided hygiene kits for 2,000 households; family tents for 100 households whose houses were totally destroyed; baby kits for 750 babies; and blankets for 200 households.
While focusing now on the relief phase, Church World Service Indonesia is concurrently planning further recovery support, to include distribution of family tents and possible home repair assistance; education and early child development programs; psychosocial first aid, including HIV/AIDS education; and a community-based rehabilitation program in collaboration with YAKKUM and local CWS partner Interaksi that would include disaster preparedness and advocacy and a livelihood recovery program supported by small grants.
The CWS team is collaborating on the island with other members of Action by Churches Together (ACT) an international coalition of faith-based humanitarian agencies, and ACT member Norwegian Church Aid (NCA).
Church World Service has been working in partnership with local organizations in Indonesia since the late 1960s.
EDITORS: Please include the following in your listings of agencies accepting contributions for Indonesia earthquake relief:
Contributions may be made directly to Church World Service, by credit card online at www.churchworldservice.org; by calling: 800-297-1516, ext. 222; or by mail to: Church World Service, Indonesia Earthquake #6980, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515.
* Source: Satkorlak (Coordination of Natural Disasters Relief Executive Unit) D.I.Yogyakarta, June 2, 2006
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