Indonesia: Survivors will need urgent physical care and psychological support

Press release | London, 5th October 2018, 13:00 GMT

People drive past a washed up boat and collapsed buildings in Palu on October the 1st, 2018, after an earthquake and tsunami hit the area on September 28th. | © AFP PHOTO/JEWEL SAMAD

Humanity & Inclusion (HI) has just sent several emergency experts to Indonesia, to provide support to the survivors in need of immediate assistance following the earthquake and tsunami that shook the island on 28th September. Many hospitals have been damaged and more than 2,500 people have been injured.

As the situation begins to stabilise and access to the worst affected areas becomes possible, the number of victims continues to rise. “We have sent a sizeable team of emergency experts to help" says Fanny Mraz, director of HI's emergency teams. “When patients are arriving in hospitals in large numbers, HI's expertise is to provide emergency rehabilitation to prevent irreversible damage, including the onset of permanent disabilities. We also make sure that the patients receive psychological support, because this type of situation can be traumatising”.

"We are not working alone: two members of our local partner organisations are travelling to the Palu region to assess needs," adds Fanny Mraz. “To provide the best possible assistance to victims, it is important to work with local medical teams, already present in hospitals, in order to treat the many casualties.”

Notes
- Interviews available upon request with British field staff in Indonesia
- Here is a link to donate to HI’s emergency appeal for Indonesia.

HI in Indonesia
HI has been working in Indonesia since 2005, where it regularly provides support to victims of natural disasters. Our teams organise disaster prevention workshops as well as workshops to improve community resilience.

Press contact
Marlene Sigonney, Humanity & Inclusion UK
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +44 (0)870 774 3737 | +44 (0)7508 810 520

About Humanity & Inclusion
Co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Humanity & Inclusion (the new name of Handicap International) is a charity working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. We work tirelessly alongside disabled and vulnerable people to help meet their basic needs, improve their living conditions and promote respect for their dignity and fundamental rights.