A 7.6-magnitude Sumatra earthquake struck last Wednesday close to Padang, the capital of West Sumatra Province in Indonesia, bringing scores of building crashing to the ground. United Nation reported that the death toll has exceeded 1,100 people and as many as 3,000 people are still buried beneath the rubbles.
World Vision Hong Kong CEO Kevin Chiu traveled to the disaster zone in Padang and Pariaman to assess the degree of damages, assists in the disaster relief efforts, and visit the victims, according to World Vision Hong Kong.
In his report, Chiu said that the disaster victims are faced with dire situation of being homeless, shortage of water and food, poor sanitation, unstable supply of electricity, and many children who were injured from the earthquake are still waiting to be treated.
Furthermore, over 60 percent of the schools in Pariaman have been damaged, which forced the schools to turn students away, and thus causing the parents to worry about their children’s education.
In his visit to a major hospital in Padang, he saw the hospital did not have enough beds for all the patients nor were there enough water and proper electricity; victims, many of which are children, are lying in emergency shelters and are waiting to get surgery.
“When I saw children of young age injured from the quake I felt very painful in my heart. In Pariaman, I met a nine-month pregnant woman, who was raising two young children but her home was destroyed by the quake, so they had to live in the area outside their collapsed homes, and she was extremely worried about the future lives of her family,” said Chiu.
“I really hope that Hong Kong people can extend their helping hands in actively donate to help the Indonesia disaster victims to pass through this period of difficulties.”
World Vision Hong Kong aims to be able to distribute 10,000 family relief kits, containing tarpaulins, mats and blankets, 20,000 collapsible water containers (each with 10-litre water) and 10,000 water purification kits, 8,000 hygiene kits and 3,200 school kits, set up 37 school tents to enable classes to resume, set up 13 Child Friendly Spaces to help children recover from trauma through play therapy and other activities, and distribute 10,000 cleaning tool kits and 2,000 wheelbarrows.
