Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Yoyakarta (Agenzia Fides) - As the numbers of dead and injured in the earthquake which struck the central area of the island of Java (official death toll about 5,500), Caritas is already at work. Government agencies, civil associations and international organisations are mobilised, the Indonesian government declared a state of emergency for three months to facilitate the arrival and distribution of aid.
Pope Benedict XVI sent a telegramme of sympathy assuring his prayers for the souls of the dead and God’s comfort to the grieving families and encouraging rescue workers to persevere in their efforts.
Caritas volunteers went immediately into action, says Caritas Indonesia Karina, working together with the emergency department of the Bishops’ Conference and supported by Caritas Internationalis network. Seven Catholic hospitals in and around Yogyakarta are treating the injured and medical personnel is on its way from other cities to help with the emergency.
The archdiocese of Semarang and parishes in the affected area have opened churches, religious houses, schools, institutes to the homeless with assistance guaranteed by many volunteers.
In the meantime the authorities keep issuing new figures with regard to the dead. Latest official figures give 5,500 killed, between 10 and 20,000 injured and over 100,000 homeless people. The worst hit area is Bantul, where 2,000 people were hurt and about 80% of the homes destroyed. To make things worse in the night it rained heavily. Yogyakarta airport has reopened to commercial airliners and the UN has set up its co-ordination centre close to the airport to bring order to the flow of goods. Two tons of medicines were flown to the area from Aceh. There is a serious problem of shortage of clean water and the risk of disease is high. The World Health Organisation has sent 50,000 emergency health kits and intends to start a vaccination campaign among the displaced persons.
The Indonesian government appealed to the international community to send aid and government declared a state of emergency for three months to facilitate the arrival and distribution of aid and assistance to the victims. Jakarta hopes to complete the work of rebuilding within a year. UNICEF and Save the Children are providing aid and assistance for children affected by the earthquake, many lost their parents. The Islamic Conference Organisation has urged its member nations to give rapid aid and assistance to the earthquake victims: Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim country with a population of 220 million. (Agenzia Fides 30/5/2006 righe 35 parole 376)
