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Disaster management

Indonesia: Yogyakarta earthquake

The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) in collaboration with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies -- has launched a massive humanitarian relief operation in response to an earthquake which caused widespread destruction around Yogyakarta city on Java island on May 27. At least 6,000 people died in the quake, almost 60,000 were injured and as many as 650,000 people have been displaced. Photo: Spanish Red Cross). (p-IDN104

Twelve months on from the devastating 27 May earthquake and affected communities around the ancient Javanese city of Yogyakarta have taken important steps along the road to recovery.

The International Federation’s community-based early-recovery programme has supported tens of thousands of quake survivors to take control of their own recovery. With support from trained Red Cross volunteers and students from local universities, affected communities have managed and implemented the construction of more than 14,000 quake-resilient transitional shelters.

The earthquake-resilient shelters are made out of local materials such as bamboo and rope and cost the equivalent of around 185 Swiss francs ($150 USD/ €118). They can be constructed in four to five days and should last up to six years.

In addition to the shelters, the International Federation has also provided emergency relief, water and sanitation and medical assistance to almost 125,000 families across the devastated region.

Photo galleries

Indonesia: Yogyakarta earthquake 12-months commemoration. May 2007

Press releases

	24 May 2007 Yogyakarta commemoration: Recovery from natural disasters must be driven by communities, says International Federation
	18 July 2006 Indonesian Red Cross responds to Java tsunami
	7 June 2006 Indonesia earthquake: Red Cross Red Crescent revised appeal focuses on relief and recovery
	2 June 2006 Indonesia earthquake: coordinated relief operation fully underway but challenges still remain
	30 May 2006 Additional emergency assistance deployed to Indonesia
	27 May 2006 Indonesia earthquake: Red Cross Red Crescent launches emergency appeal

More information

	Facts and figures (as of 21 April 2007) (PDF document - 34 kb - 1 page)
	Short overview of early recovery programmes (PDF document - 35 kb - 1 page)

Related news

“We are never tired of helping them to improve. Our main jobs are assisting them to get better and to be independent as human beings. Their happy faces give us the energy we need to continue supporting them, but of course in a positive way without causing them to become fully dependent on us,” says Tutur.

6 December 2007
Yogyakarta: heart and soul at Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) clinic
In early November, the therapists at a rehabilitation clinic in Bantul held a special gathering. It was attended clients and patients of the clinic, members of their families, and staff and volunteers with the Red Cross. The goal of the gathering was to inspire the spirit of suméléh, or acceptance of one’s condition with all of their heart and soul.

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The “Mandiri” is a community of disabled people who live and work together on the outskirts of Yogyakarta, fashioning children’s toys and religious icons out of paper and wood. Before the earthquake business was really thriving, with export markets in Malaysia, Australia and Canada. (p15764)

25 May 2007
Finding freedom
Disasters inevitably hit vulnerable people the hardest. The elderly, the sick, the poor, the disabled – people who only have a limited capacity to handle day to day challenges – are likely to be totally overwhelmed when a disaster strikes. In the Javanese city of Yogyakarta, this sad truism was played out time and again in the wake of the 27 May 2006 earthquake. The “Mandiri” is a community of disabled people who live and work together on the outskirts of Yogyakarta, fashioning children’s toys and religious icons out of paper and wood. The name "Mandiri" means freedom from others.

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An Indonesian Red Cross volunteer operates a radio telephone. As well as offering an avenue for informal chat, the programme also has a structured component. Participants gather in the morning and the evening to pray and to read from the Koran. (p15761)

24 May 2007
Keeping connected in Yogyakarta
One year on from the Yogyakarta earthquake, hundreds of thousands of people are rebuilding their lives, picking up the pieces that were so violently smashed. For a lot of survivors, the long road to recovery is compounded by feelings of grief and loss. Many people lost family members and friends in the earthquake. Some also lost the ability to walk. Nearly a thousand people suffered spinal injuries, a tragically common consequence of earthquakes, when collapsing buildings crushed occupants.

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More related news

	28 September 2006 Red Cross Red Crescent helps quake survivors get back on their feet
	22 September 2006 Yogyakarta: basic tools go a long way in helping quake surviviors rebuild
	29 August 2006 Yogyakarta: puppets and playtime bring comfort to quake's youngest survivors
	27 July 2006 Yogyakarta: pilot project to provide safe cover for Indonesian quake survivors
	11 July 2006 Indonesian Red Cross: an extraordinary organization for extraordinary times
	27 June 2006 Hospitals no longer crowded but medical needs remain
	20 June 2006 A temporary place to call home for earthquake survivors
	16 June 2006 The long-term impact of disaster
	14 June 2006 Community mobilisation and volunteerism prove effective in Yogyakarta quake relief
	12 June 2006 Red Cross offers psychosocial support to earthquake victims
	9 June 2006 Indonesia earthquake reveals the quiet heroism of survivors

Operation updates and appeals

	30 October 2009 Operation update no.23
	20 June 2006 Factsheet no.2
	12 June 2006 Factsheet no.1
	9 June 2006 Operations update focus on Mt. Merapi
	6 June 2006 Revised emergency appeal no. MDRID001
	27 May 2006 Contributions list (appeal MDRID001)
	27 May 2006 Preliminary emergency appeal no. MDRID001
	View all appeals, operations updates and information bulletins