As you may know I have worked often in Indonesia and have strong links artists there particularly in Java.We were involved with helping out after the huge earthquake in May 2006 and our help is needed again to support friends in Jogja who are working to provide direct aid to victims of the devastating Mt Merapi  eruptions in Central Java. I will be responding to Tim O’Donoghue’s request below on behalf of the organisations he is working with. If you can donate any amount  please contact me for deposit details.

From Tim O’Donoghue, JogjakartaSun 7th Nov 2010

I write on behalf of Samsara – http://samsaraindonesia.blogspot.com/ (an ngo who traditionally deals with sexual health issues) and Hutan Pangan – http://hutanpangan.org/ (an environmental and cultural organisation currently establishing a permaculture and culture centre). We have recently formed an alliance to deal with the inadequate system for distribution of aid to those suffering as a result of Mt Merapi’s continued volcanic activity. Much money has already been pledged however the lines of distribution have been complicated by those in charge of coordination… so much so that local people and organisations are being denied sufficient logistical information to operate whilst money is being spent to fly volunteers from neighboring islands such as Sulawasi (believe me that is one of the most expensive internal flights in Indonesia). The mismanagement has also resulted in hundreds of packages of food going to waste everyday whilst hundreds upon hundreds of people are going without food for days on end. There are still 600+ people on the mountain who have been waiting for days to be evacuated and everyday the hazard zone is expanding meaning more and more people need to be moved.

Currently we are involved in evacuation and providing as many meals as we can to the people most in need. We, however, are severely short on supplies and transportation to be as effective as possible. We are also currently surveying possible escape roots and camps for the very real, but unspoken, possibility that Mt Merapi goes as it did 1000 years ago (resulting in the Mataram kingdom relocating to East Java) and all of Yogyakarta being uninhabitable. At this stage there are 20 or so intelligence/aid coordination posts who have been left out of the loop of logistics and aid distribution from the government/large ngos in care of the money and information…. there are 10000+ people for these posts to care and plan for. We have also just been made aware that the magma is ready to explode (predictions of lava being hurled in a 40km radius from the mountain (ie all of Yogyakarta and surrounding districts).

I am not entirely sure what to say in light of all of this… but if there is anyone able to help, able to agitate others to help the people here would be most greatful.

Tim