DEC closely monitoring impact of latest tsunami in Indonesia
The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) is closely monitoring the impact of the second major tsunami to hit Indonesia in the past three months. At least 430 people have been reported killed and hundreds more injured after the tsunami hit the coastline of the Sunda Strait, which separates the Indonesia islands of Java and Sumatra.
The country’s disaster management agency says hundreds of buildings have also been damaged by the tsunami, which may have been caused by undersea landslides triggered by the new eruptions of the Anak Krakatau volcano near the strait. High tides may also have increased the impact of the wave.
The DEC, through its member agencies, is already delivering humanitarian aid to communities in the Sulawesi province of Indonesia that was devastated by an earthquake and tsunami in late September, which killed more than 2,100 people, injured thousands more and made tens of thousands homeless. The DEC has raised more than £25 million so far for September’s disaster which is now being used by its member charities to provide shelter, clean water and sanitation to survivors, alongside a range of measures to help affected communities rebuild.
As the impact of the Anak Krakatau disaster becomes clearer, it is possible that the DEC’s member charities may use funds from the current Indonesia Tsunami Appeal to assist the latest emergency response in the most badly affected areas of the Sunda Strait. The decision will be informed by the latest information from the ground from the DEC’s members in Indonesia, the Indonesian government and other international relief agencies. You can give now to our Indonesia Tsunami Appeal at www.dec.org.uk.
This article was updated on 02/01/19 to reflect the updated death toll announced by the Indonesian National Disaster Management Agency.
Update 31/01/2019: A small amount of the funds raised from the DEC’s Indonesia Tsunami Appeal will be used to support the response to December’s tsunami in the Sunda Strait.
