Earthquake in Indonesia

Central Java, Indonesia A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Yogyakarta, Indonesia in the predawn hours of May 27, 2006, while most people were still in bed. As of today (Thursday, June 1), the official death toll from the 6.3-magnitude earthquake, which struck Indonesia’s Yogyakarta and Central Java provinces on the island of Java on May 27, has climbed to over 5,700. The number of those injured exceed 36,000*. The Government of Indonesia has stated that the number of homeless is approximately 343,000. * Source: PACIFIC DISASTER MANAGEMENT INFORMATION NETW

The Response: We are There and Engaged

In an earthquake situation, doctors are desperately needed to save lives. Our long time partner in Indonesia, the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI), represents over 58,000 doctors and we are working with them to mount an effective response. This is what we are doing:

IDI and Uplift have done this before. Together, in response to the Aceh tsunami, we placed over 300 doctors in the field for five months to care for survivors. We also sent 25 tons of medicines and medical supplies.

The Indonesian Doctors Association, IDI, is the oldest health organization in Indonesia with a membership of over 58,000 doctors and a network of 289 chapters throughout the country. Uplift has partnered with IDI since 2001. We currently have programs together in West Java and Aceh. Our activities are capacity building and aim to improve health and health rights for the most vulnerable populations in Indonesia, such as women, children, people living with AIDS and the poor.

We need your generous support in this effort to help the Indonesian doctors do what they do best—help their own people in a time of crisis.

Uplift International's Rapid Assessment Team was onsite soon after the earthquake struck Central Java. The Uplift team consists of Dr. Beth Rivin,Vice President - Programs from the Seattle, USA office and Dr. Evi Douren, Program Officer and Tonny Portono, Assitant Program Officer, both from the Uplift Jakrarta, Indonesia office. They are working closely with our local partner the Indonesian Doctor's Association (IDI). They are also coordinating with the World Health Organization (WHO), the Government of Indonesia and local governments, international aid agencies and local NGOs. Uplift and IDI are developing a longer term response based on the assessment. Hundreds of IDI doctors have and are continuing to participate in providing medical treatment to the survivors.

Driving through Bantul, the hardest hit area, one sees people standing on the side of the road with boxes waiting for handouts of food and supplies. There are people living in the open air without tents. Houses are torn down to only rubble……………….but many families do have shelter in tents and there are water trucks on the side of the road. The road from Jogjakarta to Bantul is a traffic jam with vehicles marked with international NGO logos and Indonesian wording designating local relief organizations. There are signs every kilometer that a posko (command center) has been set up to help the people who survived the earthquake.

The coordination for relief efforts is much better than we saw in Aceh. This is probably due to the institutional memory and lessons learned from the Aceh relief experience. It may also be due to the size of the disaster, which in comparison to Aceh is on a smaller scale. This disaster is also different because the city, Jogjakarta, is close to the worst hit areas, Bantul and Klaten.

In general, there does not seem to be a need for medicines and medical supplies to be sent to Indonesia. The supply is here in Indonesia. Although the numbers of people needing emergency surgery and medical care are decreasing, there is increasing demand for post operative and rehabilitation services. The emergency phase is quickly moving into the recovery phase/rehabilitation phase. Among the most important health issues in the coming weeks will be control of infectious diseases. Our partners, IDI doctors, will play an important role in surveillance, reporting and treating infectious diseases.