Bonaria Siahaan, CEO at Yayasan CARE Peduli, which is part of the CARE International aid network, says:
“Communities in West Java are still reeling from the earthquake that struck earlier this week. Entire villages have been reduced to rubble, leaving people without shelter or a feeling of security. The combination of continued heavy rain and the threat of aftershocks mean more landslides are an ever-present danger. After a disaster like this, where people are displaced from their homes, sleeping in tents and the usual family support structures are lost, we know that it is women and children who are often the most vulnerable.
"CARE is coordinating with local authorities and other aid agencies to respond to urgent needs. Together with PMI - the Indonesian Red Cross - we are planning to support some 500 families in two of the villages hardest-hit by the earthquake with essentials including mattresses, sarongs to provide some privacy and protection from cool temperatures and kitchen items such as pots, cooking utensils, cups, plates and bowls. Many have lost just about everything and need our collective support to help them through the critical early stages of this disaster.”
Notes to editors
Founded in 1945, CARE is one of the largest and oldest humanitarian aid organisations fighting global poverty. CARE has a special focus on empowering and meeting the needs of women and girls and promoting gender equality and works in 100 countries around the world.
CARE’s presence in Indonesia began in May 1967 as CARE International Indonesia with initial activities covering food distribution, school feeding programs, and small infrastructure projects in Central Java.
As part of CARE’s global commitment to diversification and local capacity strengthening, Yayasan CARE Peduli was created in July 2018 as the national entity to continue CARE’s presence in Indonesia. This transition allows greater alignment of CARE’s programmes with national priorities, impactful and sustainable programming with high local ownership, and strengthen our commitment to localisation through investing in and building local capacity.
For more information and interview requests, please contact David Moore, Media Officer at CARE International UK at moore@careinternational.org