The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is launching a preliminary emergency appeal for 1.1 million Swiss francs ($819,000 USD/ €615,000) to support the Solomon Islands Red Cross (SIRC) in assisting the survivors of the tsunami, which followed Monday's powerful, 8.2 magnitude earthquake and severe aftershocks in the South Pacific.

The funds will be used to ensure affected communities have immediate access to safe drinking water, medical care and emergency shelter, as well as to meet the long-term needs of survivors through psychosocial support, clean water wells, hygiene promotion, and safer housing materials.

"The situation is still very difficult… the aftershocks continued on Tuesday and in some places on Gizo Island, there is not enough food or water," says the International Federation's disaster management coordinator for the region, Martin Blackgrove. "We're also concerned about the more remote areas, which are only accessible by boat."

The local Red Cross responded immediately to the disaster, carrying out early assessments and distributing relief goods to people made homeless by the tsunami, including hurricane lamps, blankets, tarps and cooking sets, which were stored in a Red Cross warehouse in Gizo.

Aerial and ground assessments are still ongoing, and local Red Cross teams are visiting isolated areas by canoe and boat, but initial estimates indicate that over 5,000 people were left homeless.

The International Federation is sending one of its Rapid Response Units to the Solomon Islands to assist the local Red Cross in meeting the immediate and long term needs of the survivors. The five-person team is made up of disaster management and relief specialists, as well as a water and sanitation expert.

"We are still in the very early stages of this disaster, so our main focus will be on getting relief where it's needed fast," says Simon Missiri, the head of the International Federation's Asia Pacific Department. "Our experience with numerous disasters has shown that recovery is a long process, which doesn't happen overnight, and our priority right now is to meet people's basic needs."

Immediately following the tsunami, the International Federation released 65,000 Swiss francs ($53,000/€40,000) from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund to enable the SIRC to buy and transport relief supplies, and carry out assessments.

For further information, or to set up interviews, please contact: Anna Nelson, Communications Officer for Asia Pacific Tel: + 41 22 730 4381 / + 41 79 724 2046 Out-of-hours duty phone Tel: + 41 79 416 38 81

The Federation, Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross together constitute the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. www.ifrc.org