Oxfam supports partners and local government in responding to Cianjur Earthquake in Indonesia

Oxfam is supporting the Humanitarian Knowledge Hub (JMK) in responding to the earthquake which hit Cianjur and Sukabumi in Indonesia last week. Our partners have started distributing basic sanitation kits to displaced people.

The earthquake, of 5.6 magnitude, has killed at least 323 people, damaged more than 62,628 buildings in Cianjur and around 443 others in Sukabumi, and caused a major power outage across both districts.

“Nearly half a million people living on the main Indonesian island of Java have been impacted. Some people have been trapped inside fallen buildings. With the spirit of Local Humanitarian Leadership, Oxfam is supporting the local government in responding to the situation through our local partners in the impacted area,” said Siti Khoirun Ni’mah, Head of Programme Management of Oxfam in Indonesia.

Oxfam is working closely with the Indonesian Women’s Coalition (KPI) Garut, one of the members of JMK, to address the needs of impacted people, especially women, children and people with disabilities.

Mike Verawati, the Director of KPI said:

“Many of the victims are women and children. We will act as fast as possible to help in rescue efforts now underway, and to provide aid and services to the most vulnerable people, who will be affected both physically and emotionally.”

JMK plans to provide 5,000 of the most vulnerable people with basic shelter and sanitation services, with equipment mobilized from its nearest warehouse in Kediri, East Java.

“Indonesia is prone to natural disasters, and this is another reminder that the humanitarian system needs to be prepared, including with early warning systems, so we can minimize the impact on women and children who are always the most vulnerable to crises such as this,” added Verawati.