Jakarta, 28th May 2006 – After the 5.9 magnitude-quake struck Yogyakarta and its surrounding at dawn on Saturday (27/05), Sampoerna Foundation quickly responded to the disaster by sending a team to help assist the quake’s victims. To view pictures related to Yogyakarta's earthquake, please click here.

Similarly to its commitment during the tsunami catastrophe in Aceh, Sampoerna Foundation set up 10 emergency tents for the victims, where each tent can accomodate around 30 people. Two tents will be utilized as the General Kitchen while the rest can function as the victims’ temporary residences.

According to the Foundation’s experience, the damages go far beyond merely physical damages, they are often dealing with pyschological and mental effects. Therefore, the Foundation takes the initiative to send several psychologists from Universitas Gadjah Mada and allocate them in each of the emergency tents to ease the victims’ emotional burden.

In addition, the Foundation also works together with “Earth Kid”, a Yogyakarta-based non profit organization, in providing counseling for the traumatic victims, setting up a playground and organizing a child care to take care of the abandoned babies and children.

Elan Merdy, Chief Operating Officer of Sampoerna Foundation, expressed his utmost sympathy and condolences for the quake’s victims on behalf of the Foundation. “The Sampoerna Foundation has sent its personnel, including some of its scholarship recipients, to assist the victims, both physically and emotionally.”

The Foundation had also gathered some of its scholarship recipients, from the existing scholars and alumni, to join forces in providing aid for people in Yogyakarta. The scholarship recipients, both from undergraduate and postgraduate levels, will assist in setting up emergency tents, help coordinate and allocate the rest of SF personnel in the field. To date, the Foundation has more than 550 scholarship recipients from elementary to graduate levels in Yogyakarta and now, our field personnel are searching for their whereabouts.

The location for the Foundation’s rescue tents will be informed soon once the meeting with Yogyakarta’s is finalized. For the media wishing to visit the Foundation’s emergency tents, please contact Hendri B. Satrio at 0816 193 0126.

The Saturday's quake was the third major tremor to hit Indonesia in 18 months. The worst, the December 26, 2004 quake and its resulting tsunami, left some 170,000 people dead or missing around Aceh. Now, the death toll at Yogyakarta and its surrounding has reached more than 4,000. 

To view pictures related to Yogyakarta's earthquake, please click here

For further information, please contact:

Sapto Sakti      
Communication Director    
Sampoerna Foundation     
Sampoerna Strategic Square, Tower B, 3rd Floor
Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 45    
Jakarta 12930, Indonesia    
Tel. +62-21-577 2340 ext. 7013    
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Ratnasari Dewi 
Executive
Prisma Public Relations
Jl. Tebet Barat Raya No. 70
Jakarta Selatan 
Tel. +62-21-830 1500
Fax. +62-21-8303948
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