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ChildFund to address urgent needs of children impacted by Sulawesi earthquakes and tsunami

ChildFund Indonesia is assessing the most urgent needs of children and families affected by the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit the Indonesians island of Sulawesi.

More than 800 people have been confirmed dead and almost 200,000 people are in need of humanitarian aid after a devastating tsunami left a trail of destruction in the heavily-populated Central Sulawesi’s region in Indonesia.

A 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit just after 6pm on 28 September, causing a tsunami that struck the coastal areas of Palu and Donggala, home to a combined 600,000 people.

On 1 October, Indonesian authorities confirmed at least 844 deaths and 632 severe injuries. These numbers are expected to rise steeply in the coming days, and government agencies have warned the toll could run into the thousands.

The series of earthquakes and the tsunami, which was the most destructive to hit Indonesia in almost a decade, have caused widespread destruction through Palu and Donggala.

 

 

With the earthquake and tsunami causing widespread damage to homes, almost 50,000 children and families in Sulawesi have been displaced, and numbers are expected to rise.

More than 48,000 people have been displaced, a total that is also expected to grow as assessments continue. One UN assessment estimated that more than 191,000 people were in “urgent need” of humanitarian assistance.

Initial reports from the affected areas estimate that 50 percent of buildings have collapsed or are severely damaged.

Indonesian authorities say there is an urgent need for basic essentials such as fuel, drinking water, tents, tarpaulin for emergency shelters, generators and baby food.

They also cited the need for medicine, medial staff, field hospitals and body bags for the rising number of dead.

ChildFund Indonesia is working with a local partner to assess the most urgent needs of children and families in the affected areas, which will form the basis of its child-focused disaster relief response.

UPDATE 3/10/18: The Indonesian government have confirmed 1,234 fatalities, 799 serious injuries and 99 missing person cases. Numbers are expected to rise as people are still trapped under collapsed buildings and rescue teams have not yet reached all affected areas. There are 61,867 displaced across 109 evacuation centres. An estimated 46,000 children are in urgent need of assistance.

ChildFund Indonesia is continuing to work closely with local partners to address the needs of these children and their families.

Access to the affected areas is severely constrained, due limited access via airports , restrictions on flights from and to Palu and a landslide across the main road into Palu, restrictions on flights into the airport, the destruction of major seaports and lack of communication with these areas. The full extent of damage in some affected areas is still unknown.

The number of fatalities and people affected are rising as rescue workers reach affected areas.

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