Sumatra earthquake

The situation

• The 7.6 magnitude quake could be felt several hundred miles away in the capital, Jakarta.
• More than 1 million people are affected.
• At least 1,000 people lost their lives.

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Homes, schools, bridges and roads were destroyed when the earthquake hit. Some of the most serious damage was in the villages to the north of Padang city – in an area called Pariaman, close to the epicentre of the quake. There are places where 80–90% of the houses have been damaged.

Some villages were cut off entirely because of landslides caused by the earthquake.

Video: Update from the field (8 October 2009)

Oxfam is there

Oxfam is placing an immediate priority on delivering clean water and shelter to the most vulnerable people. We are tankering clean water to villages in Pariaman.

In pictures: Sumatra earthquake

We are also helping people to clean their wells and collect rainwater, so that they’re not dependent on water being brought in. This is particularly important in areas where there are likely to be further landslides.

We are working in rural areas, where destruction was worse but where there is far less help being offered.

At the moment we are planning to assist 100,000 people. We will spend the next six months helping not only to meet their immediate needs, but also helping them to get their lives back together as quickly as possible.

We’ve already distributed around 5,000 tarpaulins and have another 40,000 on the way. We will also be distributing tool-kits and clothes.

Our 40-strong aid team in Padang and surrounding areas is working closely with our local partners to deliver assistance. These are organisations with strong local knowledge so they are invaluable in helping us to know what people need, and in making sure our aid is as effective as possible.

Video: Marking Global Handwashing Day

We will also be working with local partners and authorities to help improve preparations for future disasters. Thankfully we began this work before this earthquake, so we already had local people in place who could start handing out emergency supplies like tarpaulins as soon as the earthquake hit. We believe there is room for even better preparedness – particularly in a region that is so disaster prone.

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Update: 13 October 2009

ECHO (Humanitarian Aid Department of the European Commission) is supporting Oxfam's emergency response in Sumatra