International call for solidarity with Indonesia
Less than two months after a deadly earthquake struck Indonesia’s Lombok island, another one hit the island of Sulawesi on Friday 28 September 2018, triggering off a tsunami. At least 1400 deaths are to regret and the death toll is expected to rise in the next few days. The UCLG ASPAC and the UCLG Task Force for Territorial Prevention and Management of Crisis, chaired by the City of Geneva, have decided to launch an international call to local authorities through UCLG.
According to Indonesian Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) dozens and possibly even hundreds of victims are still trapped under the rubble. The authorities and NGOs are particularly worried by the situation of the Donggala region, further to the north of the city Palu, the most affected city by the disaster.
The United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) Asia-Pacific Regional section (ASPAC) made an initial assessment of needs for the population: petrol, gasoline, drinking water, medical personnel, medicines, field hospitals, tents, tarpaulins, blankets, water tanks, food ingredients, lightning equipment, generators, public kitchens, dead body bags, and baby and child meals. We know that the international humanitarian agencies are moving fast and hopefully they will deliver this aid to the population.
The UCLG Task Force main ambitions are to provide a platform for local government disaster management to capitalize on lessons learned and to provide increasingly articulated technical support in crisis situations. We aim to improve and to increase the availability of local government expertise to disaster affected municipalities. We also aim to stress and to foster the crucial role of local governments on the international disaster management agenda.
For more information and to take part in this initiative, you can contact Simone Giovetti, Manager of International and European Mission at Cités Unies France (+33 1 53 41 81 87 / s.giovetti@cites-uniesfrance.org) or Helmi Abidin, Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)/Resilience Coordinator of UCLG ASPAC (+62 21 389 01 801 / drr.coordinator@uclg-aspac. org).
(Photo by Arif Wahid on Unsplash)