ChildFund Responds to Indonesia Earthquake and Tsunami Emergency
- by Diana Quick
- / Member Spotlight
Thousands of children and their families are in urgent need of assistance following the most devastating earthquake and tsunami to hit Indonesia in almost a decade.
More than 1,570 people have been confirmed dead and almost 200,000 people, 40% of whom are children, need urgent humanitarian assistance following a series of earthquakes that triggered a tsunami in the heavily-populated Central Sulawesi province in Indonesia.
Photo from Indonesia National Displacement and Protection Cluster
Initial reports estimate that half the buildings in the area have collapsed or are severely damaged, and that almost 62,000 people are now displaced due to their homes being destroyed.
ChildFund is working with a local partner in Indonesia to assess the most urgent needs, and distribute emergency aid to children and families in the affected areas, including 5,000 family kits. ChildFund will provide psychosocial support activities through child-centered spaces for three to six months.
“With ChildFund’s expertise in child protection in emergencies, we are committed to reducing the effects of disaster situations on children and their families,” said Meg Gardinier, Secretary General of ChildFund Alliance. “For this emergency response, ChildFund is collaborating with Lembaga Penanggulangan Bencana dan Perubahan Iklim Nahdlatul Ulama, a national nongovernmental organization with a long-standing presence in the affected areas and experience in responding to emergencies.”
ChildFund will also assess the functioning of the formal child protection mechanisms, and provide psychosocial support to child protection duty-bearers.
Contact your local ChildFund Alliance member to make a donation.
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ChildFund Alliance is a global network of 11 child-focused development organizations working in more than 60 countries. We help more than 14 million children and youth to overcome poverty and the underlying conditions that prevent them from achieving their potential, with an annual expenditure of over US$500 million. ChildFund was founded in 1938.
