SINGAPORE, 24 December 2018 – Mercy Relief, Singapore’s homegrown humanitarian non-governmental organisation (NGO), will be sending its disaster assessment and response team to Lampung Province, Sumatra and Banten Province, Java where a tsunami has struck coastal areas around the Sunda Strait between the islands of Sumatra and Java. The team will be travelling on Wednesday to provide the first phase of emergency relief distribution. Immediate needs of the communities include food, water, blankets, hygiene kits, and medical service.

According to the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB), the death toll has risen to 281 people as of Monday morning. At least 611 homes, 69 hotels and villas, 60 small shops and 420 boats were affected as a result of the tsunami. As assessment of damage is still ongoing, the number of casualties is expected to rise.

Mercy Relief is working very closely with its local partners to ascertain pressing needs of the communities. The team will continue to monitor the situation in order to determine the next phase of disaster relief.

Mercy Relief will be launching a public fundraising appeal in Singapore from 24 December 2018 to 25 January 2019. Members of the public can also make their donations via the following channels:

1) Credit Card donation via Mercy Relief’s website: www.mercyrelief.org
2) Crossed cheque made out to “Mercy Relief Limited” with “Sunda Strait Tsunami Relief 2018” and email address written on the back of the cheque, and mailed to Blk 160, Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, #01-1568, Singapore 310160
3) Cash donations at Blk 160, Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, #01-1568, Singapore 310160
4) Fund transfer to Mercy Relief’s DBS Current Account 054-900741-2
5) Crowdfund via giving.sg for the “Sunda Strait Tsunami Relief 2018”: https://www.giving.sg/mercy-relief/sunda_strait_tsunami_relief