Last Friday, the people of Sulawesi Island in Indonesia looked on in horror as giant waves crashed onto their shores. First, the island was hit by a 7.5 magnitude earthquake. Then a tsunami with 10 foot-high waves tore through the region, flattening everything in its path and turning thousands of homes into rubble.
Families have been left devastated as they struggle with the catastrophic aftermath. Thousands are still searching for lost family members, while also enduring landslides and power outages. It is estimated that more than 1,300 have died and over 50,000 people are homeless.
ShelterBox already had a Response Team in Lombok, Indonesia following the August 6.9 magnitude earthquake which left 20,000 people homeless. ShelterBox has been in-country for the last month helping families recover from that event.
The earthquake that took place on Friday, September 28th is the fifth large earthquake to hit Indonesia since August. This one event has caused nearly 1,000 deaths with an expectation that the death toll will continue to rise. Over 50,000 people have been made homeless by this tragedy. We also know that water is in short supply and that the infrastructure has been badly damaged.
ShelterBox is sending a 2nd Response Team to Indonesia to understand how to help Sulawesi families who have lost everything. ShelterBox is in contact with the Indonesian government, the disaster management organizations, and Rotary in Indonesia, to understand how to help Sulawesi families. Aid is stored nearby in Malaysia and all parties are working to understand any importation restrictions, and how to get the aid in to Indonesia and to the families who may need it.
ShelterBox's immediate response to this disaster was made possible with the support of Rotarians including those in District 7910.
