S$80,000 raised for Indonesian tsunami relief efforts, Red Cross starts public fundraising appeal
The Singapore Red Cross said that donations towards the tsunami-hit Indonesian islands will be used to buy relief items for displaced survivors and to fund longer-term recovery and rebuilding efforts.
SINGAPORE — Singaporeans have donated nearly S$80,000 towards relief efforts in Indonesia’s Sunda Strait, where a tsunami over the weekend killed about 430 people, injured 1,500 and displaced thousands more.
In a statement on Thursday (Dec 27), the Singapore Red Cross (SRC) said that it had collected the amount through a public fundraising drive, with the money going towards buying relief items for displaced survivors and longer-term recovery and rebuilding efforts.
On Saturday, a crater collapse on the Anak Krakatau volcanic island sent waves up to 5m high crashing into the coast of the Sunda Strait between the Java and Sumatra islands.
The SRC said that its two-man volunteer team arrived in Banten province, one of the worst-hit areas, on Wednesday night to carry out assessments on the ground and work with the Indonesian Red Cross in its relief efforts.
Mr Benjamin William, the SRC’s secretary-general and chief executive officer, said that the agency started preparations for its relief work within a day of the tsunami hitting the Sunda Strait, securing flights at short notice.
“The safety of our team remains of utmost importance and we will continue to keep in close contact with our volunteers over the course of their mission,” he added.
The SRC has activated its Restoring Family Links service to help Singaporeans and Indonesians locate family members who may have been affected by the disaster. So far, there have been no reports of Singaporeans affected.
Torrential rains and blocked roads have hampered rescue efforts in Indonesia's coastal villages, as local authorities warned of extreme weather and high waves around the erupting volcano, the SRC said.
It will continue to monitor the situation closely and work with its ground partners to provide appropriate aid to the affected communities, it added.
Members of the public who wish to contribute to the relief efforts, as part of the SRC’s fundraising appeal from Dec 26 to Jan 25, may do so via:
· An online donation at redcross.give.asia/sundastraits2018
· A cash donation to Red Cross House, 15 Penang Lane, Singapore 238486 (office hours are between 9am and 6pm from Monday to Friday; from 9am to 1pm on New Year’s Eve)
· A cheque donation to the “Singapore Red Cross Society”, to be posted to the same address above. Leave your name, postal address, and indicate “Sunda Strait Tsunami 2018” at the back of your cheque.
