Indonesia is made up of over 17,000 islands spanning three time zones. More than 300 different languages and dialects are spoken in the country. It is also home to the largest Muslim population in the world. Most Indonesians live on the five major islands: Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Papua and Java.

Indonesia is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The devastating tsunami in 2004 and Java earthquake in 2006 struck a country already suffering from mass unemployment and political instability.

Tsunami
The tsunami on 26 December 2004 devastated the north Sumatran province of Aceh. Over 170,000 people were killed and more than 500,000 were left homeless. The deadly wave destroyed fishing waters and agricultural land on Aceh’s western coastline. Around 6,000 km of roads, 1,150 schools and 490 bridges in Aceh were wiped away.

IRW tsunami aid
Islamic Relief (IRW) has been working in Indonesia since 2000 and registered a field office in March 2003 to implement relief and development projects. IRW’s existing base in Jakarta allowed us to respond quickly to the tsunami.

The day after the disaster IRW distributed food, medicine, tents and hygiene supplies to tsunami survivors. The people of Aceh thanked IRW for its rapid response and we received international recognition from other aid agencies, the United Nations and the Indonesian government.

Currently, IRW is working in partnership with other aid agencies to resettle people in sustainable housing in Aceh. In the housing settlements people will be provided with livelihood support and access to healthcare, education and clean water.

Java Earthquake
On 27 May 2006 a major earthquake occurred near Yogyakarta City in Java. An estimated 6,000 people were killed by the earthquake and more than 100,000 homes were destroyed. Roads, bridges and other infrastructure were also damaged.

IRW earthquake response
Just four hours after the earthquake hit IRW staff distributed food in 17 sub-districts of Bantul and Yogyakarta. Hygiene kits, tarpaulin, blankets and kitchen kits were later distributed to 4,300 families. Over 800 tents were given to elderly women and families with young children. Eighty-six families also received tool kits.

IRW will remain in Yogyakarta to oversee recovery efforts. The focus at the moment is on rebuilding public services but IRW has long-term plans for development in the area, including the establishment of community development centres.