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ACT members respond to Java earthquake
Source: ACT International
Within hours of the quake, the three ACT members in Indonesia - YAKKUM Emergency Unit (YEU), Church World Service (CWS), and Yayasan Tanggul Bencana Indonesia (YTBI) - were responding.
YTBI has sent two staff members from Jakarta to coordinate the distribution of food and medicine. CWS has sent three staff members to the affected area. A YEU team, on standby in Kemalang, Klaten, is evacuating injured children to Tegalyoso hospital in Klaten.
More medical staff and medicines needed
Natalia Caw, a staff member of YEU, reported that the number of injured people being brought to each of the four big hospitals in Yogyakarta was reaching the thousands, and that many of the patients were being treated in the hospitals' corridors and terraces. She noted a need for more medical staff and medicines as well as surgical equipment to treat wounded patients.
Two CWS staff members were in Yogyakarta when the earthquake hit as CWS has been distributing different aid items to the evacuees of the Merapi volcano in the last few weeks. On Saturday morning the CWS team distributed 500 blankets to Bethesda Hospital in Yogyakarta.
A need for tents and health kits
The team did a quick assessment in one of the four districts of Bantul and reported a need for tents (around a 1,000), hygiene kits, baby kits and health kits. CWS reported late Saturday that it will try to transport tents, hygiene kits, health kits and baby kits from Medan to Solo as the Yogyakarta airport is still closed. It will also distribute 500 food packages (biscuits and noodles) and water on Sunday when other sub-districts of Bantul are visited.
A water and sanitation expert from ACT member Norwegian Church Aid who is working in Meulaboh will join a CWS water and sanitation expert stationed in West Timor in going to the region. CWS said there were already many international non-governmental organizations present in the area to monitor the Merapi volcano, so there are many different experts available in and around Yogyakarta.
YEU reported that its goal for the coming days is to assist the patients coming to Bethesda hospital through medical treatment and provision of logistics and administration. On Sunday, YEU-CD Bethesda and the CD Bethesda's People Organization will start to asses the villages in Kabupaten Bantul. The comprehensive needs assessment will be accompanied by a medical team for outreach medical services.
The head of the ACT Coordinating Office for the tsunami appeal in Medan will go to the affected area. The three ACT members in Indonesia are coordinating their responses and will indicate in the coming days what assistance, if any, they will request of the ACT alliance.
DanChurchAid is a member of ACT International - a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies.
