Indonesia Tsunami Emergency: Press Release
On Tuesday 9th October, the Indonesian government released a statement asking all foreign NGO workers to leave the country. This will not affect Muslim hands staff currently responding to the disaster as MH Indonesia operates as a local NGO.
MH Indonesia has been registered and working in Indonesia since 2004, following the Aceh tsunami. As Muslim Hands UK operates as a grant-giving body, our Indonesia office is recognised independently. Therefore, the recent announcement by the Indonesian government will have no effect on Muslim Hands UK or Muslim Hands Indonesia's work here. The support given by our UK office covers monitoring and general consultation.
MH UK staff were on the ground within 48 hours of the announcement of a 7.5 magnitude earthquake, followed by a tsunami that struck the coast of Indonesia on Friday 28th September. We have been providing 3 cooked meals a day to 500 displaced people living in camps in the worst hit areas. Thanks to incoming donations we are planning to scale this up to 1,000 people daily. We have also distributed 18,000 bottles of water and essentials such as nappies, baby milk and sanitary items to hundreds of families.
As the number of people in desperate need continues to rise, we will continue providing relief. Muslim Hands UK Comms Manager, Ayman Agabani is in Palu now and tells us:
‘What has happened here is nothing short of horrific. The speed at which the earthquake and tsunami struck left little chance for escape. Miles of coastline have been wiped out, villages and roads have been swallowed up. However, I'm grateful that we can help the survivors rebuild their lives’.
For all the latest updates on our teams on the ground follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
About Muslim Hands
Established in 1993, Muslim Hands is an international aid agency and NGO dedicated to providing emergency relief and tackling the root causes of poverty around the world. Find out more at https://muslimhands.org.uk/
Press Contact
Tijen Horoz
tijen.horoz@muslimhands.org.uk
+44 (0)115 911 7222
Ayman Agabani
ayman.agabani@muslimhands.org.uk
+44 (0)115 911 7222
