MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Australian Agency for International Development
Australia, through the Government's international aid agency, AusAID, will provide $200 000 to assist victims of the devastating floods and mudslides which have hit East and Central Java in Indonesia this week.
The funding, which will be channelled through the International Federation of the Red Cross, will be used to charter helicopters to evacuate the injured, drop emergency aid into inaccessible areas and undertake further aerial assessments of the damage.
Emergency goods such as medicines, food, tents and hygiene kits will also be purchased and distributed to those whose homes have been destroyed.
The Australian Government's quick response in offering assistance to Indonesian authorities follows emergency liaison discussions between Australian aid program officials and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Jakarta, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) and the Indonesian Red Cross over the past few days.
On 2 January, three days of torrential rain caused flash flooding and landslides affecting several districts in East Java Province, Indonesia. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Indonesia has reported 77 deaths in East Java with up to 9,500 people forced to flee their flooded homes.
Yesterday further severe landslides also occurred in Central Java with around 300 people reported missing and presumed dead.
AusAID is continuing to monitor the situation in Indonesia closely.
Media inquiries:
AusAID (Public Affairs) 0417 680 590