A powerful earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale struck central Java near Yogyakarta, a city of approximately 800,000 people, shortly before 6 am local time on 27 May 2006. Inside Indonesia will include an article about the earthquake in the next issue. We have devoted ‘your say’ to suggestions about where readers can donate to support the relief effort. The following are extracts from publicity material generated by several relief efforts.

Australian Consortium for In-Country Indonesian Studies (ACICIS) is located in Yogyakarta. No Australian students on the program were injured, but Yogyakarta and surrounding areas have been severely affected by a major earthquake. Medical supplies, water and food are severely lacking in those villages that have still not been able to receive emergency assistance.

ACICIS students, in conjunction with other international students, are co-ordinating an emergency response effort to organise direct relief to the most remote villages which are currently receiving little assistance. We have a committed team of young Australians on the ground with language skills, local knowledge, and personal contacts.

We are buying and delivering medical supplies, food, drinking water, tents and other urgently required items. We are also working with, and supporting financially, local relief teams from NGOs, Gadjah Mada University and medical centres.

See the ACICIS website for photographs and for details of how to donate (www.acicis.murdoch.edu.au/hi/gempa.html).

Phil King, the Resident Director, ACICIS

Oxfam’s emergency teams are supporting an estimated 100,000 people made homeless by the earthquake, providing them with clean water and essential supplies.

Oxfam teams have been providing drinking water, installing water tanks at three hospitals and distributing tarpaulins for shelter and hygiene kits to prevent outbreaks of disease among crowded makeshift camps.

We have also been playing a lead role in working with government, local authorities and partner organisations to coordinate disaster preparedness planning for a possible eruption of Mount Merapi, the volcano overlooking Yogyakarta. This preparation has helped us to swiftly distribute lifesaving equipment to communities following the earthquake.

Oxfam has been located in Yogyakarta for ten years and has a strong local knowledge of the area. For more details, see: http://www.oxfam.org.au/world/emergencies/indonesiaquake/?PHPSESSID=ad591f0c63c3f97805b213f7da0131f0

About 90 of the houses in Sukunan village were badly damaged by the recent earthquake in Yogyakarta. They need to be rebuilt before we can continue with our Sukunan Environmental Health Program (see Inside Indonesia No. 80 for details).

Friends of Sukunan can send tax-deductible donations by cheque made out to ‘Monash University’ and addressed as follows: Sukunan Relief Fund, c/- Professor Marika Vicziany, Monash Asia Institute, Building 11, Monash University, Vic. 3800, Australia

Currently most Sukunan families are sleeping out in the rain, getting wet and cold and this is leading to illness. The Sukunan team is urgently seeking tents. Our team has set up a soup kitchen which also provides basic health needs and medicines.

Contact Lea Jellinek (ojell@lexicon.net) for further information.

Lea Jellinek