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Major Quake Hits Indonesia – Food for the Hungry Staff in Phoenix’s Adopted City Safe
March 28 , 2005 by EditorAn earthquake measuring 8.2 on the Richter scale has hit the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The Food for the Hungry home office in Phoenix was able to connect on the phone at 10:15 a.m. Phoenix time with staff in Meulaboh, Sumatra shortly after the powerful earthquake hit 125 miles off the coast, triggering a tsunami alert. Food for the Hungry (FH) and the city of Phoenix are working together in partnership to provide emergency relief and long-term development assistance to survivors of Asia’s killer tsunami in the city of Meulaboh.
"I have spoken with our team at our offices in Meulaboh and they are fine with no injuries reported,” said Ben Homan, president of Food for the Hungry. “Our staff is also assisting local citizens to remain calm even as crowds of the fearful have gathered near our offices.”
“After the earthquake hit, people started coming out of their homes, carrying what they had and moving to higher ground,” said Pete Howard, Food for the Hungry Indonesia Field Coordinator who is in the Aceh Province. “The earthquake shook for about two minutes.”
Their building remained intact after the shaking and they saw no other visible damage in their section of town.
“We will work with Food for the Hungry to help residents of Phoenix’s adopted city of Meulaboh through yet another trying time,” said Councilwoman Peggy Bilsten, who traveled to Meulaboh with a Food for the Hungry team in January. “The people there have shown so much courage, and we need to let them know that we are still here supporting them and will be for years to come.”
There is no information yet about a tsunami reaching shore in the Meulaboh area but Food for the Hungry will keep monitoring possible tsunami activity.
As a result of the Dec. 26 tsunami disaster, the city of Phoenix and Food for the Hungry are partnering to help the city of Meulaboh. This is the first large-scale initiative where a U.S. city is mobilizing residents to reach out to those devastated by the recent disaster.
FH and the city of Phoenix are urging businesses and individuals to help by calling 1-800-211-5868 or by donating online at www.fh.org – mention or click on “Phoenix rising to help.”
To date, Food for the Hungry has raised more than $7 million dollars for total relief efforts aimed at helping victims throughout Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and India.
Founded in 1971, Food for the Hungry provides emergency relief and implements development programs in 47 countries to help the world's most disadvantaged people.
