Press Release

OFID extends US$200,000 grant for flood victims in Indonesia

04/2007 February 8, 2007 Vienna, Austria
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The OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) has approved a grant of US$200,000 to help provide essential relief supplies and support emergency operations for victims of severe flooding in the Indonesian capital Jakarta. The floods, which are the worst to hit the city in five years, have led to the loss of scores of lives and left at least 340,000 people homeless.

For six days, heavy rains and flooding have devastated Jakarta and its surrounding cities. As meteorologists have predicted that the downpours will continue for another week, particularly in the hilly regions in the south, there is little prospect of the situation improving any time soon. While the death toll remains relatively low, the number is expected to rise as a result of water contamination and the spread of diseases such as diarrhea, dysentery and dengue fever.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is coordinating current emergency response operations with its local partners the Indonesian Red Cross/Palang Merah Indonesia, CARE, Mercy Corps and World Vision. Immediate needs include bottled water, hygiene kits, tents, clothing, medication, food supplies, blankets and plastic sheeting.

OFID’s contribution, which will be channelled through the IFRC, will help procure urgently needed items and support emergency operations undertaken by the Indonesian Red Cross Society.