Singapore Red Cross pledges S$50,000 in aid for Indonesia tsunami victims
24 December, 2018
The Singapore Red Cross on Monday (Dec 24) said it would extend S$50,000 in humanitarian aid to support those affected by the tsunami in Indonesia.
At least 280 people were killed and hundreds more injured by the wave which was set off by an eruption of the Anak Krakatoa volcano.
The tsunami struck coastal areas around the Sunda Strait between the islands of Sumatra and Java on Saturday night.
SRC's contribution will support disaster recovery efforts and fund the purchase and distribution of relief items such as water filtration systems, blankets, sleeping mats as well as household kits.
Indonesia's Red Cross - known as Palang Merah Indonesia (PMI) - has also been carrying out search and rescue efforts, deploying 22 ambulances with medical crew.
PMI has also deployed 14 water trucks, five mobile clinic teams as well as two helicopters for search and rescue operations.
"SRC remains in close contact with PMI and its partners in Indonesia, and has readied a two-person advance response team for relief distribution and ground assessment," said the organisation in a media release.
"The team will depart in the next day or two, to support the PMI in its relief work," it added.
SRC's secretary general and CEO Mr Benjamin William said the organisation's priority was to support PMI's efforts in providing critical aid for survivors.
"Besides the immediate needs, the responders are also anticipating and preparing for the possibility of infectious disease outbreak in affected areas," he added.
Mercy Relief, another local humanitarian non-governmental organisation, said on Facebook that it was currently in touch with its ground partners and monitoring the situation closely.
"We stand ready to assist, should the need arises," it added.