Agency Brings First Relief By Plane
to Meulaboh
- Two Mercy Corps Boats Bring Aid to Remote Islands
Mercy Corps' humanitarian relief effort in Indonesia is in full gear this week as distribution of life-saving aid reaches more than 100,000 people on the island of Sumatra, where major devastation occurred given its close proximity to the epicenter of the massive earthquake. More than $1 million has been spent on emergency items for survivors of the tsunamis with more relief on the way. Official reports estimate the number of people displaced from their homes in the hundreds of thousands in northern Sumatra and the current death toll is upwards of 100,000.
Mercy Corps was on the ground in Banda Aceh within 24 hours of the earthquake and the emergency response team there is playing a major role as one of the leading humanitarian agencies in the region. Mercy Corps staff in the area numbers more than 24 and will continue to grow in the coming days and weeks.
Items being distributed this week include water purification tablets, plastic sheeting for temporary shelter, cooking supplies, hygiene and sanitation supplies, blankets, and clothing. The UN World Food Program chose Mercy Corps to distribute its food aid in the region, which includes 70 metric tons of rice and protein biscuits.
Mercy Corps sent two 28-meter boatloads of supplies out of Jakarta and Padang today headed for Meulaboh, a village on the west coast of Sumatra that is 80% destroyed. Along the way the boats will stop at remote islands that have not received any external aid to date. In addition, today Mercy Corps' Indonesia Country Director and staff flew a plane loaded with more supplies to Meulaboh, which will serve as a central location for more distribution of aid to remote villages and islands.
Logistics and transportation are major challenges for aid workers in Aceh province. The situation is severe: hospitals are overflowing and psychosocial support is much needed. The local airport was forced to close today when a plane accidentally hit a water buffalo slowing down the delivery of relief supplies. The good news is that the main road between Medan and Meulaboh is expected to be open today and Mercy Corps has many trucks and motorcycles to help with transportation of aid supplies.
Sri Lanka
Reports from the Sri Lanka emergency relief team indicate that psycho-social counseling is an important concern there as numbers of suicides are on the rise from people who have survived but lost loved ones and their livelihoods. Mercy Corps is sending counseling help and also working to rebuild the fishing industry and ensure better economic security for Sri Lankan fishing families. The organization anticipates using a combination of innovative economic programs and material aid to accomplish these goals.
India
Mercy Corps has teamed up with a local nonprofit organization called the Disaster Management Institute (DMI) to respond to devastation in Tamil Nadu. Emergency response efforts include providing emergency shelter, supplementary food items and household supplies. Plans are in place to help build capacity of DMI and other capable local organizations to meet long-term needs of communities in the area.
History in Indonesia
Mercy Corps was well positioned to provide humanitarian help; the agency already had field offices in Indonesia that include Jakarta and Padang, Sumatra. Humanitarian efforts in the region include a food assistance program, a health education program with a special focus on children's health and nutrition, and economic development activities that provide jobs, improve community water and sanitation systems, and rehabilitate schools.
How To Help
By internet: http://www.mercycorps.org/index.php?source=cr02
By phone: 1-800-852-2100
By mail: Mercy Corps; Southeast Asia Earthquake Response; Dept. CR02;
PO Box 2669; Portland, OR 97208
Mercy Corps will post regular field worker updates on the agency's web site at http://www.mercycorps.org/index.php?source=cr02.
For more information, please contact Susan Laarman at 1-503-341-3799 or Eric Block at 1-503-708-6571.