In Focus

North Sulawesi’s volcano, Mt. Soputan, which is located on Southeast Minahasa District, erupted on July 3rd, 2011 spewing ashes and smokes 5000 meters into the air. Official had established an eight-kilometers radius exclusion zone. No evacuation instruction had been issued as the nearest residents live about 8 km from the volcano. However, many flights to and from Manado were cancelled and some regional airports were closed due to the ash clouds. The volcano has showed no further eruption pattern but officials are still monitoring its activity.

About a week after, Mt. Lokon, one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia located 35 km south of provincial capital Manado, has been splashing hot ashes since Monday, July 11th, 2011 at 3 pm local time. The officials raised the volcano’s status to the highest danger alert level on the 10th following significant rise in volcanic activity.

“The nearest residential area is 3.5 km from the volcano. It makes them very vulnerable to the searing clouds,” said Surono, the head of the Indonesian Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, Geological Agency stated on the National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB)’s official website.  “The condition is different than Mt. Soputan eruption,” added Surono. Three villages north of Lokon: Kinilow, Kakaskasen, and Kotomohon are the most vulnerable to volcanic materials splash from Lokon as the searing clouds moving up north. People from these villages have been evacuated to eastward of the eruption core. There are 28,000 people live in the evacuation zone, but only hundreds have been evacuated to a safer place as a precautionary measure.

The eruption has badly affected people’s livelihood, which is mostly farming as the hot ashes have covered their farms. Local officials promised to distribute seeds to help the affected population to recover their farm. They will also distribute mask and medicines to people in the evacuation sites and surroundings.

North Sulawesi has three most active volcanoes: Soputan, Lokon, and Karangetang, of which status was also raised to standby alert few months ago as the province lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire. In addition to the three active volcanoes, one undersea volcano has been discovered in Sangihe-Talaud Islands of North Sulawesi.

Indonesia, which lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire has 400 volcanoes; 130 among them are still active.
(http://volcanoes.usgs.gov)

Church World Service Response

CWS is sending its staffer from the nearest office in Central Sulawesi to conduct initial assessment and to identify humanitarian needs in the Lokon eruption affected area. CWS will coordinate with local Agency for Disaster Management (BPBD), other humanitarian agencies and local government as well as local churches.


Church World Service is a member of  ACT Alliance

Contacts:

Dino Satria
Emergency Response Coordinator
Ph. +62 811 266330
Email: dinosatria@cwsindonesia.or.id

Ilmi Suminar
Communication Coordinator
Ph. +62 817 002 1284
Email: ilmi@cwsindonesia.or.id