RAF Delivers 17.5 Tonnes of UK Aid to Indonesia Following Quake and Tsunami

London, MINA — The RAF has delivered 17.5 tonnes of UK aid supplies to Indonesia to help people affected by the devastating earthquake and tsunami, Sky News reported.

The 7.5-magnitude earthquake hit Sulawesi island last Friday and was followed by a tsunami as high as 6m (20ft) which destroyed homes and left hundreds of thousands desperate for food and water.

Cargo included 1,280 shelter kits and 288 hygiene kits that make up a £3m aid package pledged by the Department for International Development.

Also delivered were much-needed handling equipment that includes a forklift truck and conveyor belt that will massively increase the speed at which humanitarian aid can be transferred from flights and distributed to affected communities.

Other equipment includes transport trucks and a lighting tower generator which will speed up the delivery of aid to people who need it most urgently.

The UK response comes after information from the Indonesian government about what the country needs to cope with the disaster.

The British government has also announced it will match pound-for-pound the first £2m raised by the British public to the Indonesia Tsunami Appeal launched on Thursday.

The UK has responded to requests from the Indonesian government
Generous Britons have donated more than £6m to the Indonesia earthquake appeal in just one day.

The death toll stands at over 1,500, with 200,000 more in desperate need as Sky News has learned that more than 1,000 people are still missing.

Oxfam aid worker Irwan Firdaus said he was working to get seven water hydrants set up to allow refugees access to clean drinking water
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IHe said: “People are desperate for help because they have already spent six nights under the sky.

“Many are in outlying villages and they badly need food and water – there are 60,000 people spread over more than 109 locations.”

Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC) chief executive Saleh Saeed said donations will ensure aid workers from 14 leading UK aid charities can reach those left homeless and in urgent need of food, water and shelter.

“As the full impact of the disaster unfolds, DEC member charities and their partners are ready to help devastated communities to rebuild their lives,” he said. “We would urge people to continue donating.” (T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)