29/05/06

TEAR Fund Providing Aid in Yogyakarta

TEAR Fund is working to provide urgently needed food, water and shelter to victims of the Yogyakarta earthquake.

An earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale struck Central Java near the city of Yogyakarta, Indonesia just before 6.00 am Saturday 27 May. Local officials believe as many as 4,600 people have been killed, and there are fears the death toll could rise above 5,000.

TEAR Fund, through its partners in the region, is currently working in the village of Gadongan, east of Yogyakarta.  This village of 175 families has received no assistance from any other source. Homes in the village, constructed from flimsy building materials, have all been completely destroyed.

So far TEAR Fund has provided Gadongan village with 850 kg of rice, 4,200 packages of instant noodles and 8,400 containers of drinking water. We are in process of sourcing and providing 175 tents.

Our partners on the ground are reporting that when they first approached Gadongan village, a dozen families have erected makeshift tents from tarpaulin; the rest were lying in the open, picking through rubble to salvage what they could, or nursing their wounded. They had not eaten or drunk clean water in over 36 hours.

Field staff say heavy rain in Yogyakarta has compounded victims’ suffering, and intensified the urgent need for shelter and emergency supplies.

TEAR Fund is receiving donations for its emergency relief response in Yogyakarta and its surrounding areas. Donations can be made online at www.tearfund.org.nz or on 0800 800 777.

ENDS

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