CARE staff assess a family in the aftermath of Cyclone Ketsana.

At the end of September 2009, South East Asia was struck by a series of natural disasters. First Typhoon Ketsana hit the Philippines and Vietnam, and then a day later an earthquake registering 7.6 on the Richter scale struck West Sumatra, Indonesia.

In total, more than 1,000 people were killed and many millions affected.

In Indonesia, CARE responded immediately, providing emergency shelter and other relief items to around 50,000 people, particularly seeking out those in more remote affected areas. CARE also provided or rehabilitated latrines in local communities and schools, delivering hygiene promotion training at the same time.

After this initial response, CARE has been helping several thousand families in West Sumatra to rebuild temporary and permanent houses, providing cash to buy materials as well as training on safer building techniques.

In Vietnam, CARE distributed food, shelter kits and other relief items in the immediate aftermath of Typhoon Ketsana. As in Indonesia, CARE staff made a concerted effort to identify the most vulnerable, particularly female-headed houses and minority ethnic groups.

CARE’s recovery operation in the affected areas of Vietnam has focused on helping worst affected and poorest families to rebuild homes, livelihoods and important basic infrastructure, such as irrigation systems roads connecting villages to markets.

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