AID FOR EARTHQUAKE SURVIVORS IN SUMATRA
Source: Muslim Aid - UK
Muslim Aid
Website: http://www.muslimaid.org
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Food, shelter and medical supplies are the immediate needs of the survivors of the earthquake that hit Sumatra on Tuesday.
More than 50 people were killed as a powerful earthquake flattened hundreds of buildings in West Sumatra, leaving hospitals grappling with scores of injured people. The quake, which measured 6.3 on the Richter scale, struck close to the city of Padang.
"We have sent a team to do a needs assessment of the area," said Fadlullah Wilmot, country director of Muslim Aid Indonesia. "We will see what damage has been done, and prioritize needs accordingly. We are also in the process of deploying volunteers to assist the victims."
The team is being led by Muslim Aid's Yogyakarta coordinator, who also piloted the international relief agency's emergency assistance to the recent flood victims in Jakarta. In the country's capital, more than 350,000 people were made homeless, and Muslim Aid has responded to the tune of £28,500, assisting a total of 25,000 people to date.
Sumatra was also heavily hit by the tsunami of Boxing Day 2004, which killed more than 130,000 people on the island. The international relief agency responded by spending more than £19 million to help rebuild the lives of those affected in Banda Aceh, where more than 100,000 survivors have benefited from assistance from Muslim Aid.
Muslim Aid has built 546 permanent houses in Banda Aceh, and 150 houses in Yogyakarta. The international relief agency has embarked work on building another 656 houses in Banda Aceh, with funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
In addition to building a hostel for orphans and a kindergarten for children, Muslim Aid is also constructing a flood mitigation system, and providing skills enhancement training for residents of Banda Aceh. In the immediate aftermath of the tsunami, the international relief agency also assembled more than 2,300 temporary shelters in Banda Aceh.
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