EU scales up humanitarian assistance to victims of #Lombok earthquakes  

The European Commission has announced a further €500,000 to step up its emergency response to meet the most pressing needs of those affected by the devastating earthquakes that struck the Indonesian island of Lombok in late July and early August. The latest allocation comes in addition to the initial €150,000 delivered earlier this month, thus bringing the EU's total contribution to €650,000.

The EU humanitarian funding complements the response of the Indonesian government and will focus on the most vulnerable groups and the most difficult to reach communities in the affected area. The EU aid will support the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in implementing emergency relief programmes and will directly benefit 80,000 vulnerable people. “We stand by the Indonesian people affected by the recent earthquakes in Lombok. This additional contribution will provide crucial support to those in need and ensure that the most vulnerable among the affected people have enough means to cope through this difficult time,” said Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Commissioner Christos Stylianides.

At least 390 people were killed and more than 1,300 injured when a series of major earthquakes and numerous aftershocks hit the popular Indonesian resort island over the course of the last two weeks. The tremors ravaged more than 67,000 homes, leaving over 300,000 people displaced. The EU funding is being made available through the Acute Large Emergency Response Tool (ALERT), which aims to respond to the immediate needs of the most vulnerable in the hours and days after a sudden-onset, large-scale emergency or a new humanitarian crisis.

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