More than 400,000 people are reported homeless after days of torrential rains hammered Indonesia's capital city, submerging homes and businesses under eight feet of water. An estimated 50 Indonesians have died in the Jakarta floods.
Responding to the disaster, Northwest Medical Teams is asking for contributions to help displaced families in Jakarta, where crowded shelters quickly become breeding grounds for cholera and typhoid. Northwest Medical Teams is collaborating with Obor Berkat Indonesia, a local aid agency, to provide medical assistance and food for communities affected by the flood.
"Families in Jakarta need our help now," says Bas Vanderzalm, president of Northwest Medical Teams. "As numbers swell in the shelters, sanitary conditions worsen. Without basic hygiene practices, treatable illnesses can turn deadly. Our funds will help Obor Berkat Indonesia prevent outbreaks of communicable diseases in the days ahead."
Northwest Medical Teams has worked in Indonesia since 2004 when it responded to the Dec. 26 tsunami. The relief agency currently has three staff offices in the country: Medan, Banda Aceh and Nias Island. Working with local agencies, international partners and the Ministry of Health in each region, Northwest Medical Teams is overseeing training programs for EMS workers, community health providers and ER nurses.
With heavy floods predicted for the next several days in Jakarta, Northwest Medical Teams is monitoring the need to dispatch professional medical volunteers. "We'll respond first with funds to provide medicines and food. If our medical volunteers are requested, we'll be there to help," adds Vanderzalm.
To contribute to the Jakarta Flood Disaster Relief Fund, call 1-800-959-4325, mail gifts to Northwest Medical Teams, P.O. Box 10, Portland, OR 97207 or give online at our secure Web site: www.nwmedicalteams.org. Donations also are accepted at any US Bank.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
