UNICEF sends relief supplies to support Indonesia after disasters

[News_Editor]

UNICEF sends relief supplies to support Indonesia after disasters

2010-10-30 10:18:09 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Friday announced that it is sending relief supplies to support the Indonesian Government's humanitarian efforts after the disasters that affected the nation.

In recent times, Indonesia suffered two devastating natural disasters: the eruption of the Mount Merapi volcano and a tsunami.

In the Merapi area, UNICEF sent jerry cans, household hygiene kits and water storage containers to meet the needs of up to 4,500 families displaced from their homes after the volcanic eruption last Tuesday.

On Monday night, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake sent tidal waves into the Mentawai Islands. The resulting tsunami destroyed homes in an area where malaria is endemic. UNICEF sent 6,000 bed nets to protect families against malaria in West Sumatra.

The latest death toll in the remote Indonesian islands of Mentawai after the tsunami has risen to at least 413 with 298 people still missing, 267 critically injured, and another 142 suffering minor injuries.

UNICEF is also working with the Indonesian health ministry to ensure that breastfeeding mothers affected by the double natural disasters continue caring for their infants, and that donations of infant formula or other complementary foods are properly regulated to avoid health risks.

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