As the worlds fourth most populated country and with soaring levels of poverty, many communities remain incredibly vulnerable – especially in times of disaster. An economic crisis throughout Indonesia in 1998 resulted in mass unemployment, with entire families suffering. Over the last ten years, Indonesia has since witnessed extensive economic growth. However, with ongoing high levels of poverty, 19.4 million people cannot meet their nutritional needs. This is particularly true in rural areas, where 14.3% of people are living below the poverty line.
With high food prices, insecure access to food and the constant threat of natural disasters, many families long for financial security and stability. Lacking sufficient access to clean water and sanitation, diseases such as avian flu and dengue fever, carried by mosquitos, also spread quickly.
Life is challenging for many people across Indonesia:
- Almost 1 in 4 women of reproductive age are anaemic (UN World Food Programme, 2017)
- Over a third of children under the age of 5 suffer from stunting (UN World Food Programme, 2017)
- Over 34% of the population rely upon agriculture for a living (UN Statistics Division, 2017)
- For every 1,000 babies born, 23 will die before they reach their 1st birthday (Asian Development Bank, 2015)
Islamic Relief in Indonesia
Working in the country since 2000, Islamic Relief established a permanent field office in March 2003, implementing a variety of relief and development projects.
When earthquakes hit in 2006 and 2009, we responded within a matter of hours, distributing emergency supplies. We rebuilt the Lhong Raya hospital and Suak Pandan Elementary School, as well as installed bamboo pipe water systems within local communities.
After the 2014 tsunami hit, we responded the next day, distributing food, medicine, tents and hygiene supplies. We continued to reconstruct housing as well as other critical public buildings and have also been working to provide access to healthcare, education, clean water, and livelihood support through vocational training and supporting local businesses.
