Padang, Indonesia & Manila, The Philippines--Action Against Hunger

    
    ACF International has launched an emergency response to assist the
    victims of two earthquakes that hit the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
    These natural disasters come in the wake of devastating flooding in the
    Philippines, where ACF teams are on the ground preparing to receive the
    first aerial shipment of emergency supplies.
    

MONTREAL , Oct. 2 /CNW Telbec/ -

- Response to Earthquakes in Sumatra, Indonesia

Immediately following the first earthquake in Sumatra, Action Against Hunger deployed specialists in water, food distribution, and logistics to Padang. ACF's teams in Indonesia , ready for this type of catastrophe, had already stockpiled emergency supplies, including first aid and hygiene kits, buckets, shovels, blankets, and drinking water containers. Thousands of Sumatra residents have abandoned their homes, heavily damaged by the earthquakes, to seek refuge in temporary shelters.

The 7.6 and 6.9 magnitude earthquakes, which have left severe flooding in their wake, have also destroyed water and sanitation infrastructure throughout the region. Action Against Hunger is mobilizing to prevent an epidemic resulting from highly unsanitary conditions.

- Update from Flooding in the Philippines

Philippines residents, hit hard by Typhoon Ketsana on Saturday, are bracing for yet another tropical storm to land this weekend. Action Against Hunger has teams on the ground in Manila and surrounding areas to attend to urgent needs and organize the distribution of emergency supplies arriving by air. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by the typhoon and the resulting flooding.

"The conditions in the temporary shelters are alarming," said Pablo Alcalde , who oversees Action Against Hunger's emergency water, sanitation, and hygiene response in the region. "Through the distribution of chlorination kits, jerry-cans and other emergency supplies, and the installation of latrines and water treatment stations, we hope to prevent a serious outbreak of water-borne disease."

- Vulnerable Communities

"The recent natural catastrophes we've seen in Asia and West Africa have mobilised ACF's teams and show how important it is to have programs that help build the resilience of communities so that such incidents don't create such large-scale damage and take so many victims" says Richard Veenstra , executive director of AAH.

AAH is accepting donations at www.actioncontrelafaim.ca, by phone or by mail. Donors should indicate the country.

For further information: Richard Veenstra, [phone]; From Oct. 5, Nathalie Ryan, [phone], extension 227