JAKARTA (Dec. 7, 2016) — Global humanitarian organization CARE is leading assessments in the province of Aceh, Indonesia, after a 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck the region, killing dozens of people and destroying homes and buildings, including a hospital.
“Search teams have worked all day to rescue survivors,” said Helen Vanwel, CARE’s country director in Indonesia. “We don’t know how many people are still buried under the rubble, yet we fear it will be hundreds. It’s now getting dark here, this will seriously hamper the rescue efforts. Roads are damaged and transport is disrupted.”
While reports on casualties and damage come in, it will take several more days to get a full picture of the impact.
“We are sending an assessment team to the affected area to plan our emergency response according to people’s needs,” said Vanwel. “Immediate assistance after such a devastating disaster is life-saving. We know from experience that after an earthquake of such a scale, people urgently need water, shelter, food and medicine.”
CARE is coordinating closely with the government and other organizations and will lead a joint assessment mission of four international aid organizations.
“Coordination in disasters is key. We are working together to ensure we can reach everyone and that we don’t duplicate efforts,” said Vanwel.
CARE is particularly concerned about the needs of the most vulnerable people, particularly women and girls, who will be the most affected given that they have to care for their families, look after the elderly and ill and may not have access to humanitarian aid.
CARE has worked in Indonesia since 1967, and has responded to several emergencies, including the Boxing Day Tsunami in 2004. Through its relief and recovery projects after the tsunami, CARE assisted more than 350,000 people in Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar, and on the island of Simeulue. While CARE’s immediate response was the delivery of life-saving food, water and supplies, the Tsunami Response Program expanded its focus on a development strategy dedicated to working with the people of Aceh to rebuild their houses, healthcare systems, water and sanitation facilities, livelihoods, schools and community services.
About CARE
Founded in 1945 with the creation of the CARE Package®, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE places special focus on working alongside women and girls because, equipped with the proper resources, they have the power to lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty. That’s why women and girls are at the heart of CARE’s community-based efforts to improve education and health, create economic opportunity, respond to emergencies and confront hunger. Last year CARE worked in 95 countries and reached more than 65 million people around the world. To learn more, visit www.care.org.
Media Contacts
Brian Feagans, bfeagans@care.org; 404-979-9453
Nicole Harris, nharris@care.org, 404-735-0871