500 Days - Update on JOICFP Assistance to Indonesia after the Asian Tsunami

On 26th December 2004, a powerful earthquake off the coast of Sumatra triggered a series of massive tidal waves, or tsunamis, which killed over 200,000 people. The Indonesian province of Aceh was especially hard hit.

Six days after the tsunami struck, JOICFP and IPPF responded by sending medical supplies to its counterpart in Indonesia, the Indonesian Planned Parenthood Association (IPPA).

IPPA’s clinic in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh had been destroyed, along with most other health facilities, and with IPPF and JOICFP’s support, IPPA opened a temporary clinic in the house of the local IPPA director, Yunas Ilyas, and in a village office. IPPA also started mobile services with IPPF's assistance, bringing in staff from other parts of the country, and JOICFP assisted by providing medical supplies.

After the tsunami; the shell of the IPPA clinic in Bandeh Aceh

For 46 days, IPPA served around 200 people a day in this way for their health and reproductive health (RH) needs until the clinic was renovated.

Maternal health was critical at this time at babies were still being born and the trauma and shock of the tsunami caused miscarriages and early births.

While the international community’s response to the disaster was rapid and well funded, most assistance focused on reconstruction. Little assistance was delivered in the way of health (especially reproductive health) or education.

Over one year later, many aid agencies are starting to leave the region, but the health needs of the people are still great. Nearly 120,000 people are still homeless in Aceh, with over 67,000 living in camps. Here, there is especially a great need for RH services since, for example, more babies are being born underweight as good nutrition is difficult, and IPPA is focusing its activities on antenatal care.

Staff outside the clinic renovated with JOICFP's assistance

Education has suffered as many schools were destroyed, and with the support of the Bellmark Foundation, JOICFP has been supporting IPPA to deliver RH education to secondary school children and university students by volunteer peer educators, who are teachers or young people. In addition, teachers have been trained to give counseling to children of all ages as many of them were traumatized by the tsunami and the aftermath.

In another part of the country, IPPA has received support from Japan through Yakult Co. for a Safe Motherhood Program in West Nusa Tenggara province. The province suffers from above average maternal mortality rates, and for the first three months the project provided supplementary food to assist with good nutrition.

West Nusa Tenggara provides
a marginal agricultural environment

IPPA is continuing to provide services here such as health checks, including those for RH, nutrition classes, and education on health and RH.

During May, Inne Silviane, Executive Director, IPPA, visited Japan to give thanks to and inform donors and Japanese supporters of how their assistance had been utilized and the current state of progress.