MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Hunt
The Australian Government is taking action to help thousands of victims of last month's earthquake which struck the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Greg Hunt, said a further $150,000 was being provided to help affected people to rebuild their lives.
'The funds are going to the Australian relief agency SurfAID to conduct damage and health assessments in the remote villages of North and South Pagai and provide temporary shelter packs and building kits,' Mr Hunt said.
'The kits contains items such as hoes, pliers, saws, hammers, axes, nails, buckets and wire for practical help for the people of the Mentawai Islands to rebuild their homes.'
The earthquake, measuring 8.4 on the Richter Scale, hit parts of Sumatra on 12 September. More than 27,000 people across the Bengkulu, West Sumatra and Jambi provinces were affected by the earthquake, which killed 25 people and injured around 100.
The Mentawai Islands, with a population of around 70,000, were badly affected by the earthquake and more than 60 strong aftershocks. Tidal surges that travelled up rivers damaged many villages near the quake's epicentre, destroying large numbers of homes.
Mr Hunt said this latest funding came on top of an initial $50,000 for immediate relief which Australia provided through the Indonesian Red Cross.
AusAID has been working with SurfAID since the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami. A $3.15 million Australian-funded program teaches people in the earthquake-prone communities of the Mentawai Islands how best to prepare for emergency.
'The AusAID-SurfAID program proved crucial in limiting the number of deaths and injuries from these recent earthquakes and SurfAID is in an ideal position to respond quickly to provide assistance to isolated communities in need,' Mr Hunt said.
'As Australians our hearts go out to the people of Sumatra, and as a community we have again been pleased to help our neighbours in urgent need.'
More information about SurfAID can be found at www.ausaid.gov.au/closeup/surfaid.cfm
Media contacts:
John Deller (Mr Hunt's office) on 0400 496 596
AusAID Public Affairs on 0417 680 590