You are in: News

News

Send this page to a friend Email envolope

Salvation Army responds to earthquake in Indonesia

The people of Indonesia suffered more trauma when a strong earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale struck the island of Java, flattening buildings in a densely populated area south of the city of Yogyakarta. Latest media reports indicate 2,800 people have been killed and thousands more injured. Exact numbers are not known as many are still presumed trapped under rubble.

Launching an immediate response, Commissioner Johannes Watilete, leader of The Salvation Army in Indonesia, directed key personnel to the site. Transportation is very difficult as the international airport has been damaged by the quake and inbound flights re-routed. Even national public transport has been shut down. The Salvation Army has a number of experienced emergency response teams, known as ‘Compassion In Action’ units, and their medical team based at the William Booth Hospital in Semarang is establishing a medical/health tent in Bantul village.

Close to the impacted area The Salvation Army has a boys' home and church. Major Amelia Tatilang, director of the boys' home, reports that many of the houses and buildings around the home have collapsed or suffered extensive damage. In addition to the city of Yogyakarta, she also reports damage in the towns of Klaten, Kaliurang, Bantul and Parangtritis.

Speaking soon after the quake, Major Tatilang said, ‘The surrounding wall at the boys' home collapsed in the quake. The boys' bedrooms were damaged and also their function room. The boys will have to sleep on the floor because their beds are also not in good condition. Essential equipment in the home was also destroyed. Our water dispenser, plates, glasses, cups, cooking utensils, refrigerator, freezer and cupboards in the rooms are totally destroyed. However we thank God all the boys (42) and the officers are safe.

Major Dina Ismael, the Salvation Army’s emergency relief coordinator in Indonesia, is en route to the area, travelling via operational facilities in neighbouring towns. Major Ismael reports, ‘The condition of the city of Yogyakarta is still uncertain at the moment because the people are still afraid to go back to their homes and afraid that another tsunami will happen. The quake (aftershocks) is still happening but not as big as this morning.’

An immediate grant of US$20,000 has been released from The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters to help the people in affected areas who are in desperate need of food, shelter, medicine and clothes.

Donations in support of this response are needed and may be made at this web site using a major credit card. They should be marked for the South Pacific and East Asia Disaster Fund.

 

Salvation Army comes to aid of victims of tidal waves in Asia

Salvationists in south-eastern Asia and coastal India were tragically and unexpectedly called into service after a massive earthquake in Indonesia triggered tsunami waves in the region and caused widespread damage and loss of life. The earthquake had a magnitude of 8.9, making it the biggest in 40 years and the fifth strongest since 1900.

While early reports are still sketchy, field assessments indicate that Andaman-Nicobar Islands and Tamil Nadu (a Christian fishing community with many families and children) seem to be among the most severely affected areas in India, with estimates of over 3,000 people killed. In the city of Chennai 200 people are reported dead with hundreds more missing. Many other fishing villages and low-lying coastal communities were submerged by the waves. Initial reports of damage and deaths are certain to rise as more information continues to come in.

Salvation Army personnel are based in many of the devastated areas and from the outset Salvation Army teams have been in the forefront of offering aid and relief to the people caught up in this unexpected tragedy. Salvation Army volunteers have been feeding over 1,200 people in the Kanyakumari and Muttom areas and many Army facilities are being used to provide feeding sites and emergency shelter throughout the region. Teams of local Salvation Army assessment personnel have been dispatched to assist the government and other agencies in their efforts to determine what the most pressing needs of the affected communities are.

The coverage of this disaster is widespread and many countries have been impacted. The Emergency Services section at International Headquarters (IHQ) is coordinating the release of resources.

As the full extent of the disaster continues to be revealed, The Salvation Army is putting out an urgent appeal for funds with which to serve the victims of this devastating tragedy. Donations should be designated 'South Asia Disaster Fund' and may be made at our secure donations web site using your credit card.

 

 

The Salvation Army in The Philippines seeks funds to aid flood and typhoon victims

Reports from news agencies say that mud slides and flash floods have turned parts of Quezon province and other areas facing the Pacific Ocean into a sea of mud, littered with bodies, uprooted trees, collapsed homes and bridges.


More than 1,000 families have already appealed to The Salvation Army for assistance. Commissioner Robin Dunster, leader of The Salvation Army in The Philippines reports: 'Volunteer Salvationists and officers are actively involved in giving food, kitchen utensils, clothing and counselling. More victims need food, blankets, medicine and housing.' Relief teams have been dispatched but local disaster funds have already been exhausted.
This mirrors the situation experienced by the government. Launching an appeal for international assistance, President Gloria Arroyo visited some of the worst-affected areas. Deforestation, the result of illegal logging, has left large areas vulnerable to storm damage and contributed to the terrible mud slides which have swamped homes and villages. Some water and food supplies have been contaminated, leading to fears that diarrhoea and other diseases will cause widespread problems.

Funds are urgently requested to assist the emergency response. Donations can be directed to the ‘South Pacific Flood Response’. The Salvation Army in The Philippines is being inundated with requests for help after a week in which the region was battered by torrential storms and a typhoon. The country's authorities were already struggling to deal with the aftermath of storms on Monday, which left 500 people dead and hundreds missing, when Typhoon Nanmadol hit just three days later. The typhoon caused less damage then feared but around 170,000 people were forced to flee their homes in search of safety on higher ground.

 

 

Print version