On the morning of June 8, the largest eruption to date of the Mount Merapi volcano occurred. The volcano spewed smoke to the west and south, and lava flows were seen. The smoke blew 5 kilometers to the south in the direction of the Kali River. The heat from the eruption burned part of a forest, but no casualties were reported.
The mountain is located between Yogyakarta and Central Java Province, near the areas affected by the May 27 earthquake.
ACT member and PDA partner YAKKUM Emergency Unit (YEU) has been responding for the past few weeks to the volcano crisis by providing health services and psychosocial activities in the affected areas. Temporary camps had also been established a safe distance from the volcano. After this morning's eruption, YEU is involved in further evacuations.
The other ACT members in Indonesia have also been responding to the building volcano crisis. Church World Service Indonesia has distributed health kits, hygiene kits and blankets to displaced people. Yayasan Tanggul Bencana di Indonesia (YTBI) is working with the crisis center of Christian University of Duta Wacana and the Javanese Christian Churches (GKJ). The crisis center is assisting 1,040 displaced people living in three places in Umbulharjo village.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) immediately sent $100,000 from One Great Hour of Sharing and other designated gifts to support our Christian partners in Indonesia following the May 27 earthquake, as they work to save lives and meet immediate medical needs. More will be needed as residents make the transition to recovery and rebuilding over the coming months, and PDA has committed an additional $500,000 for Indonesia response.
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