CIDI and Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia Together Urge Public to Make Appropriate Donations to Help Victims of Indonesian Earthquake

    ARLINGTON, Va., June 5 /PRNewswire/ -- The Center for International
 Disaster Information (CIDI) has joined the Washington, D.C.-based Embassy
 of the Republic of Indonesia to urge all those who wish to help victims of
 the May 27 Java earthquake to donate cash, as an alternative to
 gifts-in-kind and other commodities, in order to provide optimal
 assistance. It is widely recognized that cash donations are the most
 efficient and effective means of response, a policy supported by CIDI's
 funding partner, the United States Agency for International Development's
 Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, and those in the established
 international disaster response community.
     "This is a devastating tragedy for the people of Indonesia," said
 Suzanne H. Brooks, the director of CIDI. "Many of the victims were still in
 the process of rebuilding their lives from previous disasters when this
 earthquake occurred. Now they truly need help to recover. It is critical
 that relief workers have the resources they need to respond quickly and
 effectively to victims' needs. The best way to provide assistance is
 through cash donations, which allow agencies already on the ground in
 Indonesia to purchase exactly what is needed help the victims."
     "Indonesia has been always grateful with the support of the U.S.
 government and generosity of the American people during the time of our
 grief, particularly when the tsunami struck the Provinces of Aceh and North
 Sumatra in December 2004," said the Ambassador of the Republic of
 Indonesia, Sudjadnan Parnohadiningrat.
     The 6.3-magnitude earthquake in the Special Province of Yogyakarta
 located on Java Island, Indonesia has claimed an estimated 5,000 lives to
 date and left approximately 200,000 people homeless without electricity,
 food, clean water and shelter. The earthquake was the worst tremor felt in
 the region since the 2004 tsunami and the fourth destructive quake in the
 last 18 months.
     Individuals and organizations interested in making contributions to
 help the victims of the Indonesian earthquake can get more information by
 visiting CIDI's Web site at http://www.cidi.org. In addition, interested
 donors can visit http://www.interaction.org to obtain a list of credible
 responding agencies for international emergencies and http://www.give.org
 to get valuable information on making informed decisions when supporting
 charities.
     The Indonesian community residing in the Greater Washington D.C. area,
 in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia, has
 established a task force named Indonesia Relief, whose task is working with
 credible national and international non-governmental organizations
 experienced in relief efforts.
     Indonesia Relief has set up the Yogyakarta Relief Fund for those
 interested in donating directly to the victims. Checks can be mailed to:
 Dana Bantuan/Fund Assistance, Yogyakarta Relief Fund, Bank of America, 730
 15th Street NW, 7th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20005 with reference to bank
 account number 0019-2153-1110. On-line donations can be processed through
 PayPal on the Web site: http://www.IndonesiaRelief.org
     Further information related to the earthquake, or about Indonesia in
 general, can be obtained at: http://www.embassyofindonesia.org
     About CIDI
     CIDI is based in Arlington, Virginia, and was created in 1988. The
 Center is funded by the United States Agency for International
 Development's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance. CIDI provides
 individuals, groups, embassies and corporations with information and
 guidance in support of appropriate international disaster relief efforts.
 The organization works with a variety of partners to channel the public's
 energy and desire to help to achieve maximum impact. By reaching out to the
 American public and the private sector, CIDI helps to promote activities
 and donations that will do the most good for disaster victims around the
 world. For more information about CIDI and helping international victims,
 please visit http://www.cidi.org or call 703-276-2942.
 
 

SOURCE Center for International Disaster Information