73/2006
July 20 2006, Abuja, Nigeria - The OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) has approved a grant of US$500,000 to help provide essential relief supplies and support emergency operations for earthquake and tsunami victims in the island of Java in Indonesia. The death toll is estimated to be at least 531, with more than 270 people missing and 33,531 displaced.
A tsunami with a magnitude of 7.7 on the Richter Scale smashed into a 110-mile stretch of Java's coastline on Monday. Waves more than six feet high reached 200 yards inland in some places, destroying scores of houses, restaurants and hotels. The west and central Java regions have been rattled by aftershocks, including Wednesday's quake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.1.
Based on the initial information and reports available, immediate needs include medical supplies, trauma kits, tents, blankets, and clean water and food supplies. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) will coordinate and manage current operations in Indonesia (Western and Central Java), with representatives from the World Food Program, the United Nations Children's Fund, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and Oxfam coordinating activities with USAID, national authorities and other NGOs present in the disaster zone.
OFID's contribution to the aid effort will be channeled through UNOCHA.
Press inquiries: info@ofid.org