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Indonesia: from food and vaccinations to saving historic sites, UN steps up quake aid

Indonesia: from food and vaccinations to saving historic sites, UN steps up quake aid

WFP distributes food aid to the affected
United Nations agencies are stepping up aid to Indonesian earthquake victims with plans to feed 100,000 people for the next two months, an emergency immunization campaign for 1.3 million others and efforts to preserve historic sites and boost education in the Yogyakarta area where 6,000 people died and at least 200,000 more lost their homes.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP), which has so far received over 300 metric tonnes of noodles and biscuits with more expected, said its immediate efforts cover feeding 100,000 people in June and July, about 80 per cent of them women and children. It needs $5.36 million to cover emergency food needs over the next six months.

WFP has taken a lead role in coordinating logistics, facilitating the smooth flow of food to survivors by setting distribution centres.

Meanwhile the UN World Health Organization (WHO) is developing an emergency plan with the Indonesia Health Ministry to provide pre-emptive immunization of a booster dose of Tetanus-diphtheria (Td) to the entire over-15 population of some 1.3 million people in the affected areas.

This is extremely important since many people have been exposed to minor cuts and open wounds, and also because communities have started clearing rubble from damaged houses which would expose many more to cuts, injuries and possible infection with tetanus. This campaign has begun in some districts and will be extended to all districts shortly.

Simultaneously, one dose of measles vaccine will be given to 130,000 children aged six months to five years.

Over 11,000 patients have been treated for minor and major injuries, and WHO is concerned that, given the pressure of the sheer numbers, it is now important to screen all such patients for follow-up treatment and care both in hospitals and for those who have been discharged.

Ideally, to prevent hospital-based infections, WHO recommends that patients be discharged at the earliest, followed by post-operative care at home, but for many there are no homes to return to.

The UN Office of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said 85,000 homes had been completely destroyed and a further 323,000 damaged. Estimates of the homeless range from 200,000 to 650,000.

For its part, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is to provide emergency heritage preservation, education and post trauma support for children, as well as communication equipment.

The UNESCO plan, costing nearly $1 million, aims to assess damage and remaining risks to the 10th century Prambanan temple compounds, which were inscribed on the UN World Heritage List in 1991 and set up summer camps for 1,000 children to help overcome the trauma of the quake.

It will also strengthen local radio coverage by training journalists and distributing radio receivers, benefiting 5,000 people in aid centres, 60 broadcasters, and 20 radio stations.