As UN aid is distributed in Indonesia, tsunami official focuses on warning system

Expressing his condolences to Indonesia after this week’s deadly earthquake and resulting tsunami, a United Nations official stressed the importance today of disaster early warning systems, as emergency UN food assistance and other supplies were distributed to the tens of thousands displaced by Monday’s disaster that killed at least 500 people on the island of Java.

Deputy Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery Eric Schwartz, who yesterday completed a three-day mission to Aceh in Sumatra, said the signs of progress in the region following the devastating 2004 tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people are “unmistakable”, but he warned that this week’s tragedy in Java highlighted the importance of being prepared for such disasters.

“Enthusiasm for progress in Aceh…is tempered by the tragic deaths resulting from the tsunami that struck central and southern Java last Monday. I express most sincere condolences to the people and the Government of Indonesia.”

“This tragedy only underscores the crucial importance of stronger efforts to put in place comprehensive early warning and disaster preparedness systems throughout the tsunami-affected region – and in all disaster-prone areas around the world,” he said, adding that Indonesia’s Government had taken steps to address these issues, although with thousands of kilometres of coast, the challenges are formidable.

The death toll in the disaster has now risen to more than 500, with nearly 400 injured and close to 300 still missing. Rescue workers are assisting the injured and continuing their search for survivors, but hopes of finding any more are dimming.

In West Java, which was the worst hit part of the island in Monday’s disaster, local Indonesia authorities have reported a total of 37,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), although reports from a UN assessment team that was immediately despatched to the area indicate that many of these people may quickly return to their homes, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said.

“Emergency food rations are now being distributed to the victims who need it most,” said Tony Banbury, WFP’s Regional Director for Asia.

“Close and quick cooperation between the Indonesian Government, the World Food Programme and the local Red Cross ensured food was one thing the victims of yet another natural disaster in Indonesia did not have to worry about,” he added.

Ten metric tonnes of WFP food aid – micronutrient-enriched noodles and biscuits – have arrived so far, and are already being distributed to IDPs in and around the resort town of Pandangaran by the local Red Cross, while WFP dispatched another shipment of approximately 10 metric tonnes of the same commodities today.

In Pandangaran, which is near the epicentre of the offshore earthquake that caused the tsunami, 16 IDP camps have been set up, as well as eight public kitchens managed by the local Red Cross and other non-governmental organizations.

Six truckloads of emergency aid from the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have also reached the affected areas, including 200 tarpaulins for shelter, 5 large tents, 5,000 jerry cans to carry safe water, 1,000 hygiene kits and basic emergency health kits with essential medical supplies, the agency said.