Press release: UK aid sending shelter and water purifiers to help people left homeless by Indonesian disasters

• UK sending thousands of shelter kits, solar lanterns and water purifiers on flight to disaster zone.
• Flight loaded with UK aid due to leave Doncaster Sheffield Airport early tomorrow.
• Penny Mordaunt pledges extra £1 million of UK aid, taking direct total UK support up to £3 million. This is on top of existing UK funded support through partners on the ground.

The UK is flying out shelter kits to protect people who have been forced to flee their homes following the recent earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia, as well as solar lanterns and water purifiers, International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt announced today.

A flight is due to leave from Doncaster Sheffield Airport early on Thursday (4 October), transporting life-saving UK aid supplies from the Department for International Development (DFID) to the disaster zone.

There are currently over 70,000 people who been left homeless as a result of the disaster in Indonesia, and the shelter kits will protect thousands of displaced families.

Ms Mordaunt also announced an additional £1 million today to be made available to support immediate relief efforts on the ground. This takes the current level of immediate direct UK support to the disaster response up to £3 million.

This is on top of substantial existing UK funded support through partners on the ground, including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) and UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).

International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said:

It is essential we get vital UK aid supplies – including shelter kits – to those affected by the recent earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia as quickly as possible. This is extremely challenging given the devastation.

The UK is a leader in providing emergency humanitarian assistance when disaster strikes and our expertise will help greatly. Through our partners, and directly, we are providing funds to support the vulnerable survivors of this catastrophe.

The UK stands side-by-side with the people of Indonesia who remain in our thoughts at this terrible time. We will help, in the immediate aftermath and in the long term too.

The UK, through DFID, is initially expected to send:

• 1,300 shelters kits, which can accommodate five people each
• 2,300 water purifiers, with each able to purify up to 5,000 litres of safe drinking water over their lifetime
• 1,000 solar lanterns to provide light in areas without electricity and power

In addition to the new UK aid money, the DFID-backed UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has allocated $15 million to the Indonesia earthquake response. DFID provided 20% of all contributions to the Fund in 2017. The $15m will allow UN agencies and humanitarian organisations to rapidly scale up aid operations providing shelter, clean water and health.

A team of five UK humanitarian experts left London for the region earlier this week, and are now helping to coordinate the humanitarian response on the ground. A further team member will arrive today, and the UK will keep its support under constant review.

The UK has also offered the use of HMS Argyll, currently located in Singapore, to support the humanitarian relief effort. The Government of Indonesia has thanked the UK Government for this offer, but said that this is not needed at this time.

In addition to the support the UK has made available in response to the disaster, the UK is already supporting the response on the ground through our existing contributions to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO).

The IFRC and Indonesian Red Cross has almost 300 specialist volunteers and staff carrying out search and rescue missions and providing emergency health assistance on the ground.

ECHO, which DFID contributes to, has made €1.5 million available to support the relief effort.

Notes to editors

Footage of British explorer and ex-Army officer Levison Wood talking about how the water purification kits work is available here.

Limited filming opportunities are available at Doncaster Sheffield Airport. Media outlets should contact the DFID Press Office to enquire about these using the contact details below.

The UK is a longstanding supporter of the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), operated by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and in 2017 our contributions represented 20% of the fund. In 2017 the UK was its top donor, providing $102.6 million (£76 million).

DFID provides £73 million in core funding per year to the Red Cross Movement. This constitutes £63 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross, £9 million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and £1 million to the British Red Cross. Our core funding is unearmarked and can be used flexibly for rapid responses.

The UK Government supports ECHO through its contribution to the EU Budget. This constituted £190 million in 2016, the latest figure available.