INDONESIA EARTHQUAKE: CRS STAFF ON THE GROUND AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS

Catholic Relief Services' (CRS) staff in Indonesia are in touch with partners and communities in the area hit by an earthquake at 7.9-magnitude off the southern of Indonesia's island of Sumatra.

"We have partners and programming in these areas and are positioned to respond. We've reached some of our key partners and are trying to reach other partner staff. In some cases, we can't get through, which is worrisome," said Rich Balmadier, CRS Indonesia country director, from Jakarta.

CRS, which has worked in Indonesia for 50 years, has an office in Medan in Sumatra in addition to four other areas in the country (Jakarta, Kupang, Yogyakarta, Meulaboh and Banda Aceh); some of the organization's key emergency Jakarta-based staff are scheduled for flights to Medan in the morning. Based on assessments that come in, CRS' emergency team will respond with support to meet the areas of greatest need.

Interviews are available with CRS staff on the ground:

Rich Balmadier, CRS Indonesia Country Director, at +62.816.18.6701 / rbalmadier@id.seaprocrs.org

Caroline Brennan, CRS Asia Regional Information Officer, +62.81.317.193.740 / cbrennan@crsindia.org

For U.S.-based interviews, contact Kat Burnside, CRS Senior Communications Officer, at Tel: 202-821-2663 /kburnsid@crs.org

Catholic Relief Services is the international humanitarian organization of the U.S. Catholic Church, and provides support and relief in 100 countries and territories on the basis of need, relgardless of race, creed, ethnicity or nationality.