CWS News

A 7.2 Richter Scale (RS) earthquake hit Aceh Province on May 9, 2010 at 12.59 PM. The epicentrum was located 66 KM Southwest of Meulaboh at a depth of 30 KM. The earthquake was also felt in Meulaboh, Nias, and Medan, and some other area in Sumatra. A tsunami warning that was issued has been lifted.

A 7.2 Richter Scale (RS) earthquake hit Aceh Province on April 7, 2010 at 05.15 AM. The epicentrum was located 75 KM Southeast of Sinabang at a depth of 34 KM. The earthquake was also felt in Meulaboh, Sibolga, Padang, Medan, and some other area in Sumatra. A tsunami warning was issued but called off with report of no tsunami occurance.

Jakarta - Church World Service has joined one of the world’s largest humanitarian bodies working in 125 countries with a combined budget of US$ 1.5 billion.

The new ACT Alliance of just over 100 organizations provides emergency food aid, shelter, water and sanitation facilities, and poverty reduction programs in the world’s poorest and developing countries. The alliance works for the world’s poorest people, fighting causes of human suffering and injustice. ACT members are long standing organizations already working in the communities. When disaster strikes, these organizations are ready to work and are at the fore front of the emergency response.

Cipayung – Equal Rights, Equal Opportunity: Progress for All was the theme for International Women’s Day 2010. “The theme reminds us what we have achieved so far regarding gender equality,” said Frieda Sinanu, CWS Program Manager in Jakarta office, in her speech.

By Choirul Syah

The earthquake has changed so many people’s lives in West Sumatra.  They've lost their houses and loved ones. Yusmaida, 43, is one of the earthquake affected people in Pinjauan Village, Sungai Limau Subdistrict, Padang Pariaman District. Before the 7.9 R.S. earthquake hit West Sumatra on 30 September, she lived with her husband and six children as well as a son-in-law and 3 grand children in a small house. She earned her living running a food stall in a nearby school where her husband worked as a gardener. The earthquake took her house and livelihood when it destroyed her house and the food stall. Without her house, she now has to stay in a small transitional shelter with her other family members, without any privacy and risking her family’s health.

A 7.9 R.S. earthquake hit West Sumatra, destroying over one hundred thousand buildings and houses and killing more than one thousand people on September 30. In an emergency setting like this, more human resources are needed to give assistance for evacuation of victims, clearing of debris, food distribution and many other forms of assistance. The Indonesian government, foreign governments, private companies and international and national non-governmental organizations mobilized their resources to help in disaster areas.

Earthquake-affected persons are more likely to have inadequate access to sanitation services and safe water, as well as poor hygiene practices, a combination which promotes sickness through contaminated water. Church World Service thus assists the community to obtain better access to sanitation facilities and safe water.

Two specialists speak as they watch interviews of people on the street regarding HIV and AIDS, elucidating and negating common notions and ideas about HIV and AIDS in “Seen and Heard”, a 5 minute video about HIV and AIDS in Arab culture.

“Safe School, Safe Community” is one of the goals that Church World Service strives to achieve through its Disaster Risk Reduction Program in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam. The goal was set to be the theme for International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction or IDDR 2009 that is annually commemorated every second Wednesday of October.

Salmiati was holding Alif, her baby boy, in her arms, peering inside a tent full of children. “He is very curious about what is happening in the tent and he kept asking me to take him here,” said Salmiati.

The tent was big enough to hold 30 children and their mothers, who took part in fun and educational activities or FEAT, an activity that Church World Service has set up to create children friendly space. FEAT aims at addressing the trauma that children experienced following the recent 7.9 R.S. earthquake in West Sumatra.