 |
|
|
|
|
|
| | |
|
|
 |
| USAID Information:
External Links:
|
|
|
|
|
USAID Responds to the Earthquake
in Yogyakarta and Central Java
On June 27, the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (USAID/DART) departed Yogyakarta, Indonesia, having completed mission objectives to assess humanitarian needs, program emergency assistance, and coordinate the U.S. government (USG) response to the May 27 magnitude 6.3 earthquake that struck the island of Java. Deployed on May 28, the USAID/DART comprised twelve members, including specialists in health, shelter, and water and sanitation and a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) volcanologist. The USAID/DART worked closely with USAID/Indonesia and the Department of Defense (DOD) 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force.
USAID/OFDA continues to monitor ongoing programs and events at Mt. Merapi from the USAID/OFDA Regional Office in Bangkok, Thailand. From July 31 to August 12, a USAID/OFDA Regional Advisor traveled to Jakarta and Yogyakarta to liaise with international and local organizations and monitor USAID/OFDA-funded programs.
In August 2006, USAID/OFDA provided an additional $1 million to support transitional shelter and related training activities. USAID/OFDA contributed nearly $6 million in response to the earthquake, surpassing the amount pledged at the outset of the disaster.
Total USAID/OFDA Humanitarian Assistance Provided for the Indonesia Earthquake: $5,999,173
Total USAID/OFDA Humanitarian Assistance Pledged for the Indonesia Earthquake: $5,000,000
Updates
08/25/06: Fact Sheet #16 [pdf, 78kb]
08/25/06: Disaster Assistance Map [pdf, 177kb]
CURRENT SITUATION
Shelter
- Emergency shelter cluster lead the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) estimates that reconstruction will take more than two years, highlighting the need for transitional shelter to bridge the gap and to allow sufficient time for the construction of permanent earthquake-resistant housing.
- On August 24, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that the Provincial Governments of Yogyakarta and Central Java are finalizing housing recovery assistance packages for earthquake-affected households.
- With USAID/OFDA funding, CHF International is providing building materials, designs, and technical assistance for the construction of 5,000 transitional shelters, as well as introducing seismic-resistant construction techniques for permanent housing in earthquake-affected communities.
Water and Sanitation
- According to the U.N. water and sanitation cluster, the earthquake destroyed, damaged, or rendered dry an estimated 27 percent of household wells in affected areas. Well-cleaning activities are ongoing, with 3,154 wells cleaned, as of August 24.
Health
- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has returned 5,018 people from 14 different hospitals in Yogyakarta, Bantul, and Klaten to their homes. IOM has also helped 680 patients who had returned home to travel back to hospitals for follow-up medical care.
Protection
- As of August 24, international and national non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have established a total of 186 safe spaces for children, including 87 in Bantul, 80 in Klaten, 10 in Sukoharjo, 7 in Sleman, and 2 in Magelan districts.
Mt. Merapi
- On August 3, the alert level at the Merapi volcano went from Level 3, meaning a large eruption is possible within one to two weeks depending on data analysis, to Level 2, indicating that eruption is not imminent, but due to increased danger, local officials should prepare for a disaster. Lava flows, rockfalls, and gas emissions continue to occur at the volcano, but to a lesser extent than during the previous weeks. The Indonesian Center of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation recommended that at this time no one be permitted to occupy an area within 6 km of the Gendol channel southeast of the volcano’s summit because many pyroclastic flows—hot avalanches of gas and volcano material—traveled down the channel during the recent period of heightened activity.
- The GOI, U.N., and OXFAM jointly sponsored a Mt. Merapi Management Strategy workshop on August 3 and 4 to promote collaboration and coordination among local authorities, NGOs, and the international community, and to create action plans by sub-districts.
U.S. GOVERNMENT (USG) HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE
USAID Assistance
- On May 27, U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia B. Lynn Pascoe declared a disaster due to the impact of the earthquake. USAID/OFDA provided nearly $6 million for earthquake response activities, including airlifts and distribution of relief commodities; health, shelter, and water and sanitation activities; support for humanitarian coordination efforts; and the dissemination of humanitarian information. USAID/OFDA programs concentrated on serving the most affected communities in Bantul and Klaten districts.
- Through three airlifts, USAID/OFDA provided eight emergency medical kits (each serving the medical needs of 10,000 people for three months), 150 rolls of plastic sheeting, 10,200 ten-liter water containers, and 5,004 hygiene kits. The value of these relief supplies, including transport, was $361,682. Two of the emergency health kits supplied the U.S. military field hospital in Bantul District.
- USAID/OFDA provided more than $1.5 million in assistance for emergency health activities through implementing partners IFRC, International Medical Corps (IMC), WHO, and the MENTOR Initiative. Within hours of the earthquake, IMC deployed a 65-person emergency medical team from the Indonesian NGO Ambulan 118 as part of an existing agreement for preparedness activities. Other key activities included the provision of preventive and clinical health care through mobile clinics; emphasis on tetanus treatment and immunizations; psychosocial support; the establishment of health surveillance and early warning systems, including mobile outreach; and the provision of insecticide-treated plastic sheeting to more than 4,000 households in earthquake-affected areas where malaria and dengue are endemic.
- USAID/OFDA has committed approximately $3.4 million to support direct shelter interventions and shelter-related training initiatives. These funds are providing more than 8,000 households with transitional shelter and assistance to build earthquake-resistant homes. In addition, these activities will indirectly benefit people through the restoration of livelihoods, increased security for people and their belongings, and improved psychosocial health as people are empowered to rebuild their homes. CHF International is supporting transitional shelter activities for earthquake-affected populations, including the construction of 5,000 transitional shelters and training on earthquake-resistant construction techniques. Through USAID/OFDA support to the emergency appeal, IFRC is supplying 65,000 households with emergency shelter, tools, and building materials.
- USAID/OFDA provided more than $600,000 to improve access to clean water and sanitation facilities for households with earthquake-damaged wells and latrines. Through CHF International and local NGO Yayasan Dian Desa, USAID/OFDA supported the construction of latrine and washing facilities for 3,300 households; the provision of household water treatment and safe storage supplies to more than 3,300 households; hygiene education; the restoration of household and community wells for 3,500 households; water trucking to communities with destroyed or contaminated water sources; and the rehabilitation of water and sanitation infrastructure at 10 USAID-funded schools.
- Through IOM and NGOs including Internews, the USAID/DART designed and launched a public outreach campaign. Messages imparted key information on rebuilding shelters and houses with earthquake-resistant technologies, follow-up and preventive care for wounds and infections, and instruction on appropriate water treatment and storage.
- USAID/OFDA also provided $75,000 to OCHA for humanitarian coordination activities. In addition, the USAID/DART specialists in shelter, health, and water and sanitation provided technical and leadership guidance to the clusters and participated in contingency planning for a major eruption at Mt. Merapi, laying the groundwork for a USG response should conditions warrant.
DOD Assistance
- U.S. military personnel deployed to Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in response to the May 27 earthquake. On June 1, the U.S. Marine Corps Fleet 3rd Surgical Company set up a field hospital in Bantul District. The U.S military medical teams treated more than 3,400 patients at the field hospital and in mobile medical teams. The U.S. military also delivered 310 metric tons of medical and relief supplies to assist earthquake-affected populations. U.S. military personnel have since redeployed from the disaster area.
- As of August 21, DOD reported that expenditures for earthquake relief were approximately $3.5 million.
Back to Top ^
|
