Nearly 50 days after the Indonesia earthquake in Yogyakarta, Direct Relief this week provided two additional provisions of medical material aid worth over $2.1 million (wholesale) to Muhammadiyah, Indonesia’s largest civic organization for its earthquake relief response. Direct Relief has responded by providing $4.5 million (wholesale) of medical material aid and over $136,000 in three targeted cash grants to Indonesian-based partner organizations and colleague U.S. nongovernmental organizations with medical teams.

Official totals for the May 27th earthquake that struck Central Java currently stand at 5,778 deaths, 37,883 people injured, 139,859 houses completely destroyed, 468,149 houses damaged, and 2.7 million people affected. The emergency phase of the earthquake has officially ended but there still exists major health-related concerns and humanitarian needs that have not been adequately addressed. These include the lack of transitional shelter, water, and sanitation issues that will result in significant health problems in the coming rainy season, severe health consequences for vulnerable communities in the coming rainy season, general health sector needs including restocking of medical goods, and support for agricultural recovery.

In an effort to support the earthquake-related and on-going needs of area hospitals and medical outposts, Direct Relief sent an emergency shipment consisting of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies including anti-infective agents, local anesthetics, anti-inflammatory products, and antibiotic cream to Muhammadiyah that arrived on Wednesday. The organization administers a vast network of hospitals, clinics, and educational and social programs and was very involved in earthquake response efforts.

Direct Relief’s previous emergency shipment in the immediate days after the earthquake to Muhammadiyah was used to support their Bantul Hospital, which admitted and cared for thousands of injured people, as well their earthquake related outreach efforts. Direct Relief provided a second provision of aid this week that will arrive in August to ensure that Muhammadiyah has adequate medical supplies long-term to support their earthquake relief and on-going medical services including IV solutions, IV administration kits, anti-infective agents, and nutritional supplements to Muhammadiyah.