Alert

12/2008 - Indonesia

Yogyakarta earthquake rehabilitation & community-based disaster risk reduction

Geneva, 04 February 2008

Since immediately after a devastating earthquake struck Central Java and Yogyakarta provinces in May 2006, members of the global alliance Action by Churches Together (ACT) International, Church World Service (CWS), Yakkum Emergency Unit (YEU), and Yayasan Tanggul Bencana di Indonesia (YTBI) in Indonesia have been providing relief and rehabilitation assistance to people in affected villages through ACT appeal programme (ASID 61), which closed at the end of November 2007.

While assistance provided to date has saved lives and enabled many people to advance on the long road to full recovery, the external ACT evaluation of the ASID61 programme and the members' own re-assessment of the situation in the affected communities, revealed gaps in assistance in some geographical areas, sectors and to some vulnerable affected communities. This region faces a high level of environmental hazards, including floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and drought, leaving many people's livelihoods in the earthquake-affected areas uncertain or highly vulnerable.

Complementary assistance is needed with a focus on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) to ensure the sustainability of livelihoods recovery, and to strengthen communities preparedness and longer-term resilience. ACT members have identified further needs in some of the villages for adequate water supplies, sanitation and hygiene promotion. Also identified as areas in need of support are: the further development and strengthening of community-based organizations; health posts involved in developing livelihood activities, providing village-level health services, and disaster preparedness; and the involvement of local schools, teachers, children and government to strengthen local networks for better community-based preparedness and management of disasters. Additionally, it has been proposed that work needs to continue in promoting the rights of physically disabled, men and women through advocacy and community-awareness campaigns and activities.

Proposals for response have now been received by the ACT Coordinating Office and a follow-on appeal is forthcoming.

Any funding indication or pledge should be communicated to Jessie Kgoroeadira, ACT Finance Officer (jkg@act-intl.org).

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ACT is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies worldwide. The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.