 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Indonesia ramps up aid effort a week after quake
Padang, Indonesia (AFP) Oct 7, 2009 Relief agencies were racing against time Wednesday to get aid to remote Indonesian villages still cut off a week after a massive earthquake devastated parts of Sumatra. The 7.6-magnitude quake struck off the western coast of the island last Wednesday, killing more than 1,000 people and leaving half a million homeless, according to United Nations' estimates. The official death toll from the Indonesian government remained at 704, although the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies says it expects the final number to pass 3,000. UN humanitarian response coordinator Rachel Lavy said there was no shortage of aid supplies, and more was on the way aboard US warships which were expected to arrive off Sumatra by Friday. The biggest challenge was distribution, she said, especially in the coastal hinterland where hundreds of people were buried alive in landslides which obliterated entire villages and destroyed roads and communications. "Agencies are still reporting pockets where they found people who say they haven't received any assistance," she said in the worst-hit city of Padang. "The first three months are often the most critical. We need to make sure that people have got shelter in that time, they need access to food and medical care... in that 90-days period. There are no signs of disease outbreaks, despite shortages of drinking water and the hundreds of decaying bodies that remain buried beneath the rubble, Lavy said. "We're not seeing any rise in the reported incidence of communicable diseases, and that's a very good thing," she said. The government estimates around 100,000 homes have been destroyed, meaning up to 500,000 people could be in need of temporary shelter, according to the UN and the Red Cross. Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters A world of storm and tempest When the Earth Quakes
Tonga prisoners help out with tsunami relief workNuku'Alofa (AFP) Oct 7, 2009 Prisoners from the Tongan island of Niuatoputapu have been helping with relief work after their jail was destroyed by last week's tsunami, officials said Wednesday. Nine people were killed, eight badly injured and hundreds left homeless when the tsunami smashed into the island following a huge earthquake. None of the island's 10 prisoners was hurt, despite their jail being smashed and th ... read more |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2009 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Google
Facebook