The eruption of the Mt. Merapi Volcano in  Indonesia has initiatied the evacuation of local SOS Children's Centers.  You can support SOS Children's Villages.

UPDATE November 4, 2010: New eruptions three times greater in force than those reported last week have created panic and caused many people to evacuate shelter in areas surrounding Mt. Merapi. Heavy rains yesterday exacerbated the situation and made living conditions worse.  

The danger zone has extended to 9 miles around the volcano and people are fleeing towards Yogyakarta City 18 miles away. SOS Children’s Villages already has ten camps/posts in the city and staff are trying to make arrangements to accommodate even more children in these locations.

SOS Children’s Villages is also preparing to send teams of trained staff from Lembang and Semarang to assist traumatized children. Some of the families enrolled in the SOS Family Strengthening Program who took shelter in SOS housing last week have left the shelters and fled in panic. The situation around Mount Merapi remains grave and experts fear the eruptions could continue for at least two months. All major air operators have already halted flights to Yogyakarta City.

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UPDATE October 28, 2010: With volcano Mount Merapi in Indonesia still spewing ash and a lava explosion looming, SOS Children’s Villages has evacuated more than 300 children who are supported through SOS family programs. More evacuations are likely to follow.

SOS Children's Villages has also started supplying essential items for families affected by the disaster. During the past two days, thousands of people fleeing from deadly ash and gas have taken shelter in schools, camps and government buildings in and around Yogyakarta.

More than 300 children enrolled with the SOS Children’s Centres in Umbulharjo-Cangkringan and Turi Sleman (8 miles from the volcano) were evacuated yesterday via trucks, motorcycles and ambulances. All the children are now accommodated in camps and SOS staff along with volunteers who are providing essential items like masks, milk, ready-made meals, mats, and blankets.

SOS Children’s Villages has also established many information points in affected areas in Cangkringan, Turi-Sleman, Boyolali and one in Yogyakarta City.

The next evacuation would be from Sleman and Klaten districts -- locations of two of SOS Children’s Centers with 250 attending children. These particular places are situated directly in the lava path.

Close to 400 children in the north (at sub-district of Selo, Boyolali) and west (Bagong, Magelang district) of Mount Merapi remain in their homes. They are supported by SOS Children’s Villages staff and volunteers. The government and non-government agencies are running camps in public buildings. In case of emergency, these children will also be evacuated to safer areas.

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October 27, 2010: Mount Merapi, on Indonesia’s island of Java, erupted around 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 26, prompting evacuation of thousands of villagers. Among the evacuees running from the lethal hot air and debris sprouting from the nation’s most volatile volcano were SOS families in the area. These families participate in the family strengthening program run by SOS Children’s Village at Lembang, in central Java.

The families are now staying in temporary camps in the town of Yogyakarta. Gregor Nitihardjo, national director of SOS Children’s Villages-Indonesia, is currently in Yogyakarta to get first-hand information about the situation.

Map of SOS Children's Villages in Indonesia

Two other programs run by SOS Children’s Villages have also been directly affected. The Mutiara Abadi SOS Children’s Center at Umbulharjo Village, Cangkringan, Sleman, only 1.5 miles from the peak; and the Aditya Yodha SOS Children’s Center at Turi Village, also in Sleman. These centers were created after the region’s 2006 earthquake and have became very popular. They are run by community volunteers, SOS youths, and SOS family strengthening program staff.

Volunteers from SOS Children’s Village-Lembang, including so-called Tagana members (Disaster Response Youths), are now busy helping with the evacuation and supporting people in need.

You can help too.  Donate now to support SOS Children's Villages.

Dangers of Volcanic Ash

The volcanic eruptions left a blanket of ash over whole neighborhoods on Mount Merapi’s southern slope, according to IRIN news service. At least 28 people are confirmed dead and 90 hospitalized for burns. Volcanic explosions of this sort can lead to skin and lung burns, asphyxiation, conjunctivitis, and acute respiratory problems, according to the World Health Organization.

Local media reported that a three-month-old baby died after experiencing respiratory problems.

The Indonesian government, which had advance warning of volcanic activity, is running 10 shelters in three districts--Magelang, Klaten and Boyolali—that lie outside the 6-mile danger zone. The shelters are housing more than 22,000 villagers.

Not all villagers were willing to evacuate ahead of time. Taslim, a 45-year-old farmer who left his home in Kinahrejo village when the volcano erupted, told IRIN he initially did not want to leave because he feared his livestock and crops would be stolen.

"I was feeding my livestock when I heard a siren. Soon I heard a thunderous sound and saw ash raining down," he said. "We ran as fast as we could but some people did not make it." 

Indonesia Also Coping with Tsunami Off of Western Sumatra

Mount Merapi burst its lava dome one day after a tsunami slammed into Indonesia’s island of Sumatra near Padang, 800 miles to the west. The tsunami was caused by a 7.5-magnitude earthquake on October 25 that hit 47 miles west of South Pagai, one of the Mentawai islands. SOS Children’s Villages does not have any projects in the area. At least 108 are dead, hundreds are missing, and thousands are homeless.

According to Reuters, most of the coastal village of Betu Monga was wiped out.  Of 200 villagers, 160 are still missing, mostly women and children. Said a local official by phone, "We have people reporting to the security post here that they could not hold on to their children, that they were swept away. A lot of people are crying."

SOS Children’s Villages on Site to Help

Providing warm homes, education, and health care to at-risk children in Indonesia for almost four decades, SOS Children’s Villages also offers emergency assistance to children and families during natural disasters. Indeed, worldwide, SOS Children’s Villages are often born of temporary efforts to give shelter, food, and health care to vulnerable populations in crisis.

Once SOS secures the safety of its children and families in central Java, its emergency relief experts will assess the situation and help others in need.

You can make a huge difference in the life of an Indonesian boy or girl, terrified by the latest devastation to hit their country. Donate now to support SOS Childrens' Villages.