Swiss respond to Indonesia earthquake

People are still thought to be trapped under the rubble Keystone

The provisional death toll from the strong earthquake that hit the Indonesian island of Java on Saturday is more than 5,000, according to local authorities.

Bern and aid organisations have pledged financial support for the disaster and the government’s aid unit has already sent two experts to the country.

In a statement, Swiss president Moritz Leuenberger and Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey have expressed their condolences to the victims of the quake and to the Indonesian authorities.

No Swiss victims have been reported.

The quake, which measured 6.3 on the Richter scale, devastated the densely populated region around the ancient city of Yogyakarta in central Indonesia.

It struck early in the morning while people were sleeping. Homes and buildings were flattened and roads and bridges were destroyed.

At least 20,000 people have been injured, 200,000 people have been left homeless and some are still trapped beneath the rubble, said officials on Sunday. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has ordered the army to help evacuate victims.

The quake is said to be the country’s worst disaster since the 2004 tsunami.

Yogyakarta is near the Mount Merapi volcano, which threatened to erupt earlier this month, forcing thousands of people to be evacuated. Experts said the tremor was not liked to the volcano.

Swiss react

The Swiss foreign ministry confirmed on Sunday that there were no known Swiss victims. It is in contact with its embassy in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, as well as hospitals in the affected area.

Spokeswoman Carine Carey said officials had now reached the 20 Swiss nationals registered with the embassy who live in the quake region. They are all safe and sound.

The government has already sprung into action over aid. Two experts from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) have already been sent to the affected region.

The officials, from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA), are experts in water and reconstruction. They were previously based on the neighbouring island of Sumatra carrying out post-tsunami construction work, said the SDC.

The SDC said it had contacted the Indonesian government and the United Nations to offer humanitarian aid, but had not yet received any official request for help from Indonesia.

SHA head Toni Frisch said on Saturday that it was not sure that Western aid teams would be needed as many aid organisations and the Indonesian army were already in the region due to the Mount Merapi volcano.

Bern has, however, already given $100,000 (SFr122,000) to the Indonesian Red Cross.

Pledges

Swiss non-governmental organisations have also reacted. Catholic charity Caritas, Protestant charity Swiss Interchurch Aid, and the Swiss Red Cross have pledged a total of SFr400,000 for emergency aid.

A representative of Interchurch Aid is already in Yogyakarta and officials from the other organisations are on their way.

Swiss Solidarity, the fundraising arm of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, swissinfo’s parent company, said in a statement that it was contributing SFr100,000 and donations could be made either via internet or to the postal account 10-15000-6 “Java”.

The organisation, which often launches national fundraising campaigns after catastrophes, said that its partners on the ground would be ensuring aid from the neighbouring island of Sumatra, where post-tsunami work is being carried out.

swissinfo with agencies

In brief

After the 2004 tsunami, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation sent emergency aid to Indonesia. The second phase involved support for several reconstruction projects, particularly in drinking water, in the province of Banda Aceh, the worst hit by the disaster.

Swiss Solidarity collected more than SFr40 million for post-tsunami reconstruction efforts in Indonesia.

Switzerland has long worked for a solution to the conflict in Aceh and supports projects in human rights, democracy and peace building as well as in economic cooperation.

Key facts

October 8, 2005: 7.6 magnitude quake in Pakistan and India Kashmir region leaves at least 75,000 dead.
March 28, 2005: Tremor on the island of Nias, Indonesia, kills 905 people.
December 26, 2004: Quake near Sumatra causes a tsunami which hits a dozen countries in southeastern Asia. 220,000 dead or missing.
December 26, 2003: Quake in Bam, Iran, leaves 31,000 dead.

Donations

Swiss Solidarity, the fundraising arm of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, has launched an appeal to raise money for earthquake victims.

It announced on Monday that SFr100,000 was being made available immediately.

Donations can be sent to post office account: 10-15000-6, marked “Java”, or made online (see link below).