Indonesia West Sulawesi Earthquake Relief Fund (2021)

Online donations for this fund are now closed. You can still support our general disaster preparedness fund.

In January 2021, two large earthquakes hit the West Sulawesi Province of Indonesia. The quakes and aftershocks had displaced 15,000 people into 25 evacuation camps. At least 90 people have lost their lives and over 932 are injured; the death toll is likely to increase as search and rescue operations are ongoing.

Immediate Needs

Give2Asia is mobilizing funding for immediate disaster relief and long-term recovery. Urgent needs include:

• Evacuee camp management
• Makeshift shelter, tarpaulins, and shelter kits (mattress, blankets, raincoats, etc.)
• Special needs for babies, women, and the elderly
• Clean drinking water
• Basic food rations: rice, fresh food, proteins
• Personal protective equipment (masks, gloves, face shields) to reduce COVID-19 risk
• Hygiene and sanitary kits for camps and individuals (sanitary napkins, soap, buckets, mugs)
• Mosquito nets
• Medicines and healing oils

Giving Opportunities

To donate online to Give2Asia’s relief fund for this earthquake, visit our donation page. Your gift will support local nonprofits in the area of greatest need.

For large gifts or to support a specific local organization, contact us for giving options.

For corporate giving opportunities, please request a consultation with our international grantmaking team.

A healthcare worker examines a child following the earthquake. Photo courtesy of Human Initiative.

Our Local Partners

Give2Asia is partnering with trusted, local charities in Indonesia that are well-positioned to identify needs and deliver cost-effective services. Our partners for this response effort include:

Human Initiative (formerly PKPU Human Initiative) responded to the disaster just hours after the second earthquake hit West Sulawesi. After coordinating with the local Government and affected residents, they provided electric generators to assist with the evacuation process, mobile charger stations, and a water kitchen. The team continued providing emergency assistance of free health services and building sanitation and Smile Houses for affected residents.

IDEP Foundation deployed their team in Palu, Central Sulawesi, to conduct a rapid assessment on the impact of the Majene and Mamuju earthquake and to support affected communities. They are distributing emergency ration kits with a one-month basic food and non-food items (blankets, PPEs, sanitary products, and hygiene items).

Project HOPE, and its local entity Yayasan Project HOPE, are providing emergency assistance in coordination with the Health Cluster, BNBP, the Ministry of Health, and other agencies. The team will focus on health support and camp management in emergency shelters by:

• Providing PPE to evacuees, health care workers, and frontline responders
• Sourcing and distributing hygiene kits and supplies to displaced families in evacuation sites
• Recruiting and placing medical personnel to augment and relieve local health staff
• Delivering mental health and resiliency training for health care workers, which is already being implemented in other areas of the country

A school in Majene damaged by the earthquake. Photo courtesy of Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management / Wikimedia.

Detailed Situation Report

Last updated January 17, 2021

Indonesia Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported two major earthquakes in District Majene, West Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. The first quake happened on Thursday, January 14, 2021 at 2.35 PM local time, registering 5.9 on the Richter scale. The second quake, 6.2 magnitude, occurred early the following morning and caused significantly more damage and casualties. There have been at least 32 aftershocks with lower magnitudes, now covering the two Districts of Majene and Mamuju.

Heavy damages have been reported by both districts, including to the Governor’s office, two hospitals, 25 schools, two hotels, a minimarket, a community health center, Mamuju Seaport, a bridge, and a TNI office. Over 300 houses also sustained damages. The airport in Mamuju can still be used, road access that connects the Provinces has been restored, and there are three hospitals in Mamuju District that are set up to receive emergency patients. The patients in damaged hospitals are currently being treated in an emergency hospital set up by Indonesia Red Cross.

The local emergency response team is now focusing on saving survivors trapped in ruined buildings. BNPB, Indonesia Red Cross team, Ministry of Social Welfare have been on the ground since the afternoon of January 15. Supporting and distributing essential equipment to the survivors are ongoing. Heavy rains continue, putting most emergency evacuation camps at high risk of water-borne diseases. In addition, the worsening Covid-19 situation in many parts of Indonesia will likely result in higher movement restrictions for people coming in and out of the Districts, complicating relief efforts.