IDEP FLASH UPDATE #15 – April 12th, 2005
From : Yayasan IDEP & Yayasan Andaru Selaras
Re : Tragic sinking of the Endless Sun Vessel
The Cahaya Abadi (Endless Sun), a private relief boat delivering aid to Aceh and Nias has sunk off the coast of Nias on April 11 at 14.00 local time.
The 700-ton vessel had just finished offloading a cargo of rice and aid to the village of Afulu on the south coast of Nias, North Sumatra, Indonesia when it struck an uncharted reef in a heavy swell. The boat sunk within twenty minutes. Some of the Indonesian crew of 15 and 5 volunteers swam safely to shore and the others were picked up by fishing boats. All are safe.
The Cahaya Abadi had delivered some of the Yayasan IDEP aid and 87 tons of rice donated by the World Food Program to four isolated communities in Nias before the incident occurred. It had just completed its fourth rice delivery when the accident occurred. The vessel was still fully loaded with food, household and reconstruction aid intended for Aceh when it sank 600 meters offshore.
The vessel, leased by Yayasan Andaru Selaras (a Jakarta based NGO) was carrying relief goods from Yayasan IDEP, the World Food Program, Project Concern International and other donors.
“We are grateful for the good news that no one on board was seriously injured,” says Petra Schneider, Executive Director of Yayasan IDEP a Bali based NGO. “We are committed to continue our Aceh aid and recovery projects with the help of our generous donors, volunteers and staff.”
The many major earthquakes in the immediate area since December 26 have created an unstable seabed situation with uncharted, difficult to navigate coral reefs.
“Crew and volunteers were aware that they were entering a dangerous and volatile situation,” says Chris Gentry, founder of Yayasan Andaru Selaras. “I want to thank those who have put their lives at risk for the people of Aceh and North Sumatra. Despite the trauma and hardship they have experienced their commitment has not waned. Aid delivery in this difficult time will continue”.
The crew is being evacuated by World Food Program helicopters now. The vessel was a total loss.
Among the tons of relief cargo lost undersea were the following items intended for IDEP’s project in Sama Tiga (Aceh) and IDEP is trying very hard to quickly replace these goods as the people there were promised that these items were coming soon aboard The Endless Sun. Last week, the vessel, en route to Sama Tiga, was re-routed to Nias to deliver rice to isolated coastal communities in need of food, after the March 28 earthquake.
Please help us replace these items for the villagers of Sama Tiga:
- 3,000 Kerosene stoves,$3 each, for a total of $9,000
- 800 “Aid Buckets” total $16,000
- 361 Household kits total $7850
- 340 Food kits total $7540
- 100 Fishing kits total $1224
- 1 trail bike (for delivering goods to villages without roads): $1,500
If you can help, please contribute today.
How to help IDEP replace these items…
By CREDIT CARD – Via PayPal, an internet payment system which allows you to make payments from 45 countries (not including Indonesia – if your credit card billing address is in Indonesia this will not work). Go to www.idepfoundation.org/aceh_aid.html and follow the instructions there. (Tax deductible for US taxpayers.)
By CHECK (in US) – Via Tides Foundation. Make check payable to “Aceh Aid / Tides Foundation” and mail to Byron Miranda, Accounting, Tides Foundation, P.O. Box 29903, San Francisco, CA 94129, USA. (Tax deductible for US taxpayers.)
By WIRE TRANSFER (the quickest way to get funds to IDEP)
Account Name : Yayasan IDEP
Account Number : 034.001229576.003
Bank : BNI (Bank Negara Indonesia), Cabang Ubud, Bali
Bank Address : Jl. Raya Ubud, Bali – Indonesia
SWIFT Code : BNINIDJA DPS
If you send a wire transfer please send an email to : [email protected] telling us your name, date of transfer, currency and amount, originating bank – as well as how you would like the donation listed if it is not the same as the name on the wire transfer receipt.
For additional information about donating to IDEP please contact [email protected]
We will be posting more information on our website soon. www.idepfoundation.org
http://www.AcehAid.org
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