When Mount Kelud, which is one of nearly 130 active volcanos in Indonesia, erupted on Thursday night, lava, ash and gravel spewed over a radius of up to 10 miles. Residents of Solo, a town nearly 125 miles from the volcano were reported to hear thundering sounds throughout the eruption, which lasted for around five hours. Many homes within a radius of seven miles have been destroyed by volcano material and at least 200,000 people were evacuated. One casualty has been reported so far and residents are now returning home to survey the damage.
“The volcano is situated around 125 miles east of Yogyakarta, where Handicap International’s office is based. Our teams are safe, however, thick ash and debris has covered a vast area of land. Three major airports (including Yogyakarta) were forced to close because of low visibility”, says Laura Giani who oversees Handicap International projects in South East Asia.
“As soon as possible, Handicap International will carry out an assessment to identify the population needs and potential emergency response activities in the affected area”, says Laura Giani. “Initial reports mention the need for food, water, sanitation, masks and blankets.”
Handicap International launched its operations in Indonesia in January 2005, when it provided victims of the Tsunami in Aceh province with physiotherapy services, and psychological and economic assistance. Handicap International has extensive experience of disaster risk management that aims to build the capacities of the most vulnerable groups to meet their needs during natural disasters in Indonesia.
