UMCOR, partners respond to Java quake survivors
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A UMNS Web-only photo by Djunijanto, YTBI-ACT A
man looks at damage to a Javanese Christian Church in Prambanan,
Klaten, Central Java, caused by the 6.2 earthquake that struck May 27.
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A
man looks at damage to a Javanese Christian Church in Prambanan,
Klaten, caused by the 6.2-intensity earthquake that hit Indonesia's Java
Island on May 27. The United Methodist Committee on Relief is working
with partners in the region to respond to survivors. As of May 29, the
death toll from the quake was about 5,000. More than 15,000 are
estimated injured and 100,000 people displaced from their homes A UMNS
photo by Djunijanto, YTBI (Council of Churches of Indonesia)-ACT. Photo
#w06093. Accompanies UMNS story #314. 5/30/06 |
May 30, 2006
By United Methodist News Service
The United Methodist Committee on Relief is working with partners in
the region to respond to survivors of the May 27 earthquake on the
Indonesian island of Java.
Indonesian government figures released May 29 put the death toll at
about 5,000. More than 15,000 are estimated injured and 100,000 people
displaced from their homes.
Especially hard hit was Bantul, a town south of the city of
Yogyakarta. The area already has been under threat from Mount Merapi, a
volcano near the eruption point.
In Geneva, Action by Churches Together, of which UMCOR is a member,
announced the heads of the emergency units of its members in Indonesia
had arrived in Yogyakarta, according to Ecumenical News International.
One ACT member, Yayasan Tanggul Bencana Indonesia, was coordinating
its efforts with the local Javanese Christian churches and had recruited
more than 40 volunteers to distribute food and other aid.
The U.N.’s World Food Program was expected to bring in more than 40 tons of supplies to the quake zone May 30.
UMCOR, which has been working in Indonesia since the Dec. 26, 2004,
tsunami, will focus on both immediate assistance and long-term relief
for earthquake survivors with its regional partners.
Contributions to UMCOR’s “Indonesia Emergency” relief efforts can be
placed in local church offering plates or sent directly to UMCOR, P.O.
Box 9068, New York, NY 10087. Designate checks for UMCOR Advance No.
217400 and “Indonesia Emergency.” Credit-card donations can be made
online at www.methodistrelief.org or by calling (800) 554-8583.
News media contact: Linda Bloom, New York, (646) 369-3759 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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