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Talk of the week: EU provides further assistance to RI’s tsunami victims
Helping hand: Personnel from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations of the European Commission talk to locals in Pandeglang, Banten, in the wake of the tsunami that struck the Sunda Strait late December 2018
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elping hand: Personnel from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations of the European Commission talk to locals in Pandeglang, Banten, in the wake of the tsunami that struck the Sunda Strait late December 2018. The European Union has announced an additional 300,000 euros (US$339,030) in humanitarian aid for the tsunami victims. (Courtesy of the EU/European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations)
The European Union has announced that it will allocate an additional 300,000 euros (US$339,030) in humanitarian funding to support efforts to assist people affected by the tsunami that struck the Sunda Strait in late December 2018.
The tsunami, measuring 6 meters high, struck coastal communities on Dec. 22, killing more than 430 people and leaving a further 14,000 others injured or displaced.
The EU announced the second phase of its funding on Feb. 8. The second phase of the funding will directly benefit 6,000 of the most affected survivors, particularly those who are currently displaced in the worst-hit district of Pandeglang, Banten. The EU’s first phase of assistance amounted to 80,000 euros, which was delivered immediately after the disaster.
With the additional humanitarian funding, the EU’s total assistance totals 380,000 euros. The EU’s aid will provide relief assistance through the distribution of cash grants to the affected people, especially to help them procure their most urgent needs like food, water and other essential items, according to the EU’s press release.
The press release added that the assistance would prioritize vulnerable segments of the population such as the elderly, differently abled individuals and women-headed households, while also making sure that women and girls got the hygiene kits they need. Many victims currently live in temporary settlements and camps in rural, coastal and suburban areas.
The funding is made available through the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) of the European Commission through its small-scale response mechanism. The ECHO small-scale response fund is a global mechanism that allows for rapid funding for up to 300,000 euros of humanitarian aid for countries affected by natural and man-made disasters.
“The EU’s contribution underlines our solidarity with the people of Indonesia, many of whom have suffered the loss of homes, livelihoods and belongings in the wake of the recent tsunami,” European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management commissioner Christos Stylianides said.
“The additional assistance will allow our partners to provide crucial support to address the most pressing needs of the hardest-hit families, to help them get back on their feet as soon as possible,” he added.
