21/7/2006
Thousands Displaced By Indonesian Earthquake and Tsunami

Emergency United Nations food assistance and other supplies are being distributed to the tens of thousands of Indonesians displaced by the deadly earthquake and resulting tsunami that hit the island of Java this week and killed at least 500 people.

Local Indonesia authorities report a total of 37,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the West Java province, which was the worst hit in the disaster, although reports from a UN assessment team that was immediately despatched to the area indicate that many of these people may quickly return to their homes, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said.

“Emergency food rations are now being distributed to the victims who need it most,” said Tony Banbury, WFP’s Regional Director for Asia.

“Close and quick cooperation between the Indonesian Government, the World Food Programme and the local Red Cross ensured food was one thing the victims of yet another natural disaster in Indonesia did not have to worry about.”

Ten metric tonnes of WFP food aid – micronutrient-enriched noodles and biscuits – have arrived so far, and are already being distributed to IDPs in and around the resort town of Pandangaran by the local Red Cross, while WFP dispatched another shipment of approximately 10 metric tonnes of the same commodities today.

In Pandangaran, which is near the epicentre of the offshore earthquake, 16 IDP camps have been set up, as well as eight public kitchens managed by the local Red Cross and other non-governmental organizations.

Six truckloads of emergency aid from the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have also reached the affected areas, including 200 tarpaulins for shelter, 5 large tents, 5,000 jerry cans to carry safe water, 1,000 hygiene kits and a basic emergency health kit with essential medical supplies, the agency said.

The death toll in the disaster has now risen to more than 500, with nearly 400 injured and close to 300 still missing. Rescue workers are assisting the injured and continue their search for survivors, but hopes of finding any more are dimming.

Children and families displaced by the earthquake and tsunami are also being sheltered temporarily in community halls, schools and mosques. Many, especially those living close to the water, were evacuated due to their trauma and fear of another tsunami.

“Most of the people are afraid of the tsunami – that's why so many moved to the camps,” said UNICEF Emergency Officer Lina Sofiani. Recent aftershocks have also prompted renewed fears among an already traumatized population.

An earthquake in May that also hit Java killed nearly 5,800 people and displaced more than 130,000 – 40 per cent of them children – and UNICEF has been supporting the Indonesian Government’s ‘Back to School’ campaign after this earlier disaster.

UNICEF has distributed learning materials for some 100,000 students in the run-up to the new academic year that begins this week, it said in a news release, adding it has also donated more than 200 tents to be used as temporary classrooms.

“Going back to school after the emergency is very important for children,” says UNICEF Education Officer Sayo Aoki. “It helps them continue studying and overcome the difficulties they are going through. School also helps the children get back to the routines they had before.”

Parts of Indonesia are also still recovering from an earthquake off Sumatra island in December 2004 that caused a devastating tsunami which killed more than 230,000 people and affected more than 12 countries in Asia.