30 May 2006

An earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale struck the south coast of the Indonesian island of Java on Saturday 27 May, killing more than 5,000 people and leaving over 100,000 homeless.

The Indonesian government and the international community are carrying out crucial, life-saving work in the disaster zone. ActionAid is not currently working in Indonesia, but we are closely monitoring the situation and talking with local community organisations to build a better picture of the situation on the ground. We can then establish whether we can use our expertise in medium and long term assistance to aid the recovery of affected communities.

ActionAid continues to support the long-term recovery of the most vulnerable people affected by recent emergencies such as the Asian tsunami disaster and the Pakistan earthquake. ActionAid will be sure to draw on this experience in the event of any response in Indonesia.