Save the Children reaches quake affected area of Sumatra
Save the Children in Indonesia is gearing up to provide vital assistance to children and their families affected by two strong earthquakes and several aftershocks that struck off the coast of Sumatra on 12 and 13 September.
Thursday 13 September 2007
The massive quake, with a magnitude of 8.4, struck Bengkulu province on the south western coast and was followed by two others of a magnitude of 7.8 and 6.4. At least nine people have died, 40 people have been injured and hundreds of buildings have been damaged.
What we are we doing
An emergency response team is already on the ground and working flat out in Jambi and Bengkulu province in the south west of the island to assess the damage. We will be purchasing supplies and relief items to assist families in immediate need while plans are made for additional assistance over the next 24 hours. They are working to overcome communications problems which are hampering assessments of the number of injuries and the extent of the damage.
"This is a dangerous situation for children," said Gareth Owen, who heads Save the Children's emergency response efforts. "They are at risk from additional quakes and the dangers presented by debris and unsafe buildings."
A history of emergency help in Indonesia
Indonesia is frequently hit by earth tremors, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions as it's part of the seismically active Pacific "Ring of Fire". Save the Children has provided lifesaving emergency relief and ongoing recovery programs following recent emergencies in Indonesia, including the March 2007 Sumatra earthquake, flooding in Jakarta in February 2007 and in Aceh in December 2006 and the Yogjakarta earthquake of May 2006 on the island of Java. We continue to help children and families devastated by the December 2004 tsunami in Aceh province.
Latest photos
An earthquake survivor tries to salvage belongings from the wreckage of a house in Lais, Bengkulu province September 13, 2007. Photo credit: REUTERS/Dadang Tri
An earthquake survivor sleeps on a bed in a makeshift tent at Bengkulu hospital, September 13, 2007. Photo credit: REUTERS/Beawiharta Beawiharta
