There are more than seventeen thousand islands in the Indonesian archipelago, sprawled along a volatile fault line. Natural disasters, poverty and difficulty accessing health services and safe sanitation, leave many communities vulnerable.
We work in partnership with Indonesian Red Cross in their efforts to reduce poverty and support their most vulnerable people.
Preparing for disasters
We work alongside Indonesian Red Cross to develop disaster management and preparedness programs including tracing (reconnecting families after emergencies), blood, and ambulance services. These programs help develop the skills of local volunteers to work in their communities and respond to disasters.
Vital blood
Blood saves lives and blood services are an important part of a strong health system. One of the challenges for Indonesia as a sprawling archipelago is to deliver a safe and sustainable blood service. Australian Red Cross supports Indonesian Red Cross in its commitment to health promotion and improved blood and ambulance services, and we are set to begin a stronger partnership in this area from 2011.
Responding to disasters together
Indonesian Red Cross are known for their community-based teams of volunteers called Satgana - who are trained to respond to the country's frequent disasters. We have supported the development of Satgana over the past decade. During the earthquakes in West Sumatra in 2009, the teams provided transitional shelters for hundreds of families left homeless.
Alongside Indonesian Red Cross, we have been active during significant emergencies such as the Bali bombings of 2002, the tsunami of late 2004 and in the wake of the Yogyakarta earthquake of 2006, providing first aid, shelter and livelihoods support.
Read more about our disaster response work:
Sharing skills
We support Indonesian Red Cross to deliver quality community services in Nusa Tenggara Timur and Aceh.
Working with board members and volunteers, we help to strengthen organisational development, supporting long-term blood, ambulance and community-based programs.