Members of Action by Churches Together (ACT) International in Indonesia are continuing to assist survivors of the devastating mudslides on the island of Java that have left 137 people dead.

|PIC1|Major landslides have hit Central and East Java following torrential rain in the last week, with numerous villages buried and many houses washed away.

The rescue effort has been seriously hampered by the serious damage done by the landslides to many roads and bridges.

Many survivors have fled the affected areas to seek refuge in the homes of relatives or in public buildings as CWS Indonesia staff continue to conduct rapid-needs assessments in the affected areas.

CWS is preparing to distribute emergency items including blankets and health kits, as well as emergency food and water aid.

The headquarters of CWS in New York have also announced they will send a US$5,000 rapid response grant to its Indonesia programme.

YAKKUM Emergency Unit (YEU) will provide an immediate response based on preliminary assessments of its team members using its own emergency funds.

YEU will distribute hygiene kits and assess sanitation needs as part of a network in Jember, East Java, that includes Oxfam UK, local volunteers, a local environmental non-governmental organisation and government bodies.

|TOP|According to the YEU team, which includes one nurse and one community organiser, food aid has already reached the affected areas from the communities and government, but blankets are still needed.

YEU will also provide emergency assistance together with the health team at YAKKUM’s hospital and its community development unit to those affected by the mudslides in Banjarnegara in Central Java.

Assessments will also be carried out by YEU on the area’s disaster-preparedness and the community and government initiatives already in place.

ACT members are currently not requesting additional funds from the ACT alliance or Rapid Response Funds from the ACT Coordinating Office in Geneva to cover the costs of its emergency response to the Indonesian landslides.