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Indonesia

Singapore Red Cross contributes SGD 55,000 worth of food items and medication to aid victims of the Indonesian floods

Singapore Red Cross (SRC) contributed SGD 55,000 (IDR 151 million) worth of food items and medication to their Indonesian counterpart, Palang Merah Indonesia (PMI) on Friday 5 January 2007, to support PMI's relief work with victims of the recent Indonesian flash floods.

The food items, costing a total of SGD 42,000 comprised of baby milk biscuits, cream crackers and bottled water. These were then consolidated into 7,000 food packs and distributed to Aceh (5,000 packs) and North Sumatra (2,000 packs).

Medical items, such as much needed antibiotics, symptomatic pain relief medication, vitamins, supplements as well as infusion and cleansing lotions and gauzes, face masks and hand gloves were also provided. These items worth SGD 13,000, will supplement the work of the medical team, operating out of mobile clinics that have already been set up by PMI.

The recent floods and landslides have affected many areas such as Central Java, North Sulawesi, Sumbawa, Aceh and West Sumatra. The floods have caused widespread damage to crops, plantations, roads, bridges, transportation lines, telecommunications, and in the process, devastated the livelihood of many.

International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) and the PMI report that the floods which primarily affected the provinces of Aceh, North Sumatra and the Riau islands has displaced more than 530,000 people with many still living in temporary shelters.

Emerging health issues such as diarrhoea, skin diseases, asthma and water-related diseases are also becoming a major concern. The IFRC and the PMI are looking into this situation and have already begun to identify early recovery and rehabilitation strategies.

To date, the PMI has already completed a needs assessment of all three provinces of Aceh, North Sumatra and the Riau islands, rescue and evacuation procedures, the setting up of field kitchens, water sanitation services and relief centres, the mobilisation of medical personnel and the distribution of food packs, baby and family kits.

SRC will continue to monitor the situation with PMI and is on 24-hour standby to provide medical or relief assistance, if required.