The southeast Asia earthquake is now known to have killed at least 220,000 people. Aid agencies now face the biggest emergency operation ever mounted.

IR staff in Indonesia are distributing food, water, medicine, disinfectants and other non-food items to the survivors, and in Sri Lanka, the IR team is distributing hygiene kits, but much more is needed. Islamic Relief has increased its appeal from the general public to €14 million.

Utter Devastation

The tsunamis washed away Aceh's entire western coastline, villages along the 500 km stretch of coastline are now non-existent. Those who survived the disaster are gathering in the cities of Banda Aceh in the north and Meulaboh towards the south.

In cramped settlements with inadequate water or sanitation facilities, the displaced population is in immediate need of aid.

Drinking water, oil, food, disinfectants and baby milk being distributed to survivors of the disaster, who are also provided with cooked meals

However, delivering aid to the survivors is extremely arduous. The disaster has paralysed Banda Aceh, the capital of the Aceh region. Infrastructure has been destroyed, 5,800 km roads have disappeared, 1,150 schools lie in ruins, 490 bridges have collapsed, and all seaports are inaccessible. At least a third of Aceh's civil servants are dead, and many more have been incapacitated by their own tragedies.

The region, which is a quarter the size of the entire United Kingdom, has only two small airports, both congested with aid shipments. The transportation networks that are still intact are straining to get aid from the airports to the affected population.

Islamic Relief Action

Islamic Relief is distributing over €100,000 worth of food items and another €100,000 of non-food items to survivors of the disaster in Aceh. Survivors receive drinking water, oil, food, disinfectants and baby milk.

In the Ampara province of Sri Lanka, Islamic Relief staff have distributed food, hygiene kits, underwear, towels, soap, pillows, mosquito nets, and clothing to thousands of people.

There is no safe water in Banda Aceh. All wells in the city have been contaminated with sea water and filth. Islamic Relief is trucking drinking water from a water treatment plant to the main settlements in Banda Aceh.

Islamic Relief has began constructing 104 latrines in 13 settlements in Banda Aceh. IR plans to build a total of 500 emergency family latrines in the region.

The survivors of the disaster need food, water, medical supplies, tents and sanitation facilities.