JAKARTA, Indonesia, Aug. 16, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Yayasan Plan International Indonesia (YPII), as one of the national independent humanitarian organizations, partners with the Government of Indonesia and other humanitarian organizations to work continuously together, seeking for various assistance for communities affected by the earthquake in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. As of August 12, 2018, 681 relief sets consisting of tarpaulins, blankets and mats were successfully distributed to victims in the North Lombok region.

Up until Monday (13/8) YPII’s team has distributed shelter kits for 967 families, or approximately benefiting at least 4,000 people.

Dini Widiastuti, Executive Director of Yayasan Plan International Indonesia, was in Lombok last weekend to see and coordinate directly with the Plan Emergency Response Team (ERT), consisting of YPII staffs, the Yakkum Emergency Unit (YEU), and GAGAS; both are YPII local partners.

"YPII has on-going development programs on child protection and WASH (water sanitation and hygiene) in the areas most affected by the earthquake. We are responding to emergency by ensuring that the specific needs of children, girls and boys, are taken care of," Rapid Needs Assessment (RNA) found. The findings, conducted in the aftermath of the 1st and 2nd earthquake, highlighted that girls feel uncomfortable staying together in the same tents with adults who are not their family.

For the Lombok earthquake response, YPII focuses on Shelter (provision of tarpaulins, blankets, mats), Child Protection, WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene), and Education (school kits). The relief operation is being implemented in 6 villages in North and West Lombok (Sambik Elen, Loloan, Senaru, Batu Rakit, Sukadana, and Karang Bajo).

Approximately 2,500 families or 10,000 people, including girls and boys, in North and West Lombok will receive intervention that will last for 6 months. Up until Monday (13/8), YPII's team has distributed shelter kits for 967 families, or approximately benefiting at least 4,000 people. As the next step, YPII and partners will also build Children Friendly Spaces (Ruang Ramah Anak/RRA), a facility that provides psychosocial assistance to the affected communities, especially girls and boys.

Ridwan Syah, Head of Development Planning Agency at Sub-National Level (Bappeda) welcomed YPII's response efforts. "The earthquake followed one after another and has made our (response) scenario keep changing, especially in distributing aids. We thank the YPII team for their responsive, quick and considerable act. We hope this partnership will last not only in the term of providing direct assistance, but also in designing a concise emergency response concept in the future. This will certainly change the mindset therefore Lombok can be a safe tourism destination," said Ridwan.

Azam, Head of Child Protection Agency at Village Level (Lembaga Perlindungan Desa Anak), appreciated the support with specific approach from YPII. "The tents are divided into a number of families considering their needs. After the first earthquake, we were going home already, but it hit again on Sunday. Now our need is food for infants and toddlers, such as milk and medicine. We also need medication for the elderly."

"The needs for immediate relief and recovery is very significant, but the rehabilitation and reconstruction will take months. We are preparing ourselves to support these efforts and to help the communities and the local government to build back a better and more resilient Lombok. We hope that more parties from both individuals and private sectors will support these joint efforts," Dini remarked.

A strong magnitude 7 earthquake hit Lombok, Bali, Sumbawa, and eastern part of East Java at 18.46 WITA on August 5, 2018. Indonesian's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) had activated the tsunami warning for northern part of Lombok Timur and Lombok Utara. Yet, the warning was ended on August 5, 2018 at 20.25 WIB. As of August 11, 2018, data from the Indonesian National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB) reported on death toll reaching 387, with 14,033 injured and 387,067 people seeking for refuge.

About Plan International:

Plan International is an international humanitarian and humanitarian development organization that focuses on fulfilling children's rights and the equality of girls. We fight for a just world, work with children, young people, communities and partners.

Plan International works with children, young people and the community to address the root causes of discrimination against women, exclusion and vulnerability. With its achievements, experience and knowledge, Plan International encourages changes in local, national and global practices and policies.

Plan International is not affiliated with certain religions, political or governmental organizations. For more than 80 years, Plan International has built strong partnerships for children. We currently work in more than 70 countries.

About Yayasan Plan International Indonesia:

Plan International has been working in Indonesia since September 2, 1969, based on a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of the Republic of Indonesia.

On June 15, 2017, Yayasan Plan International Indonesia was approved by the Ministry of Law and Human Rights of the Republic of Indonesia. Yayasan Plan International Indonesia was established to reach more children and girls in Indonesia, and to have an impact on sustainable development through long-term partnerships and broader fundraising.

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