Helen Keller International Joins Tsunami Relief Efforts

Helen Keller International (HKI), a 90-year old organization with established programs worldwide that combat the causes and consequences of malnutrition, has joined the tsunami disaster relief efforts. HKI is on the official World Health Organization (WHO) coordination list of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working on the relief efforts, and has established partnerships with the World Food Programme, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Church World Service (CWS) and the Indonesian Doctors Association.  Working with other NGOs under the aegis of the United Nations, HKI is focusing its efforts on assisting an estimated 1,740,000 people in Indonesia, which has experienced the greatest number of casualties, through two basic emergency assistance activities.

First, HKI is distributing vitamin A, iodized oil and dispersible zinc tablets to children under five years of age through an initiative called Supplementation with Micronutrients (SUM). Micronutrients such as vitamin A, iodine and zinc constitute one of the most cost-effective ways to save lives and prevent disease in disaster situations. Children particularly are vulnerable to death and disease in the aftermath of disasters such as the tsunami. Diarrhea, pneumonia and malaria become problems due to the destruction of infrastructure and the resulting poor sanitation. Vitamin A and zinc are two key nutrients for children under five years of age that reduce mortality from diarrhea by 30% to 50%, and lessen the severity and likelihood of contracting diarrhea, pneumonia and malaria by 30% to 40%. In addition to providing micronutrients to children, HKI is distributing a monthly supply of multivitamins suitable for cooking or non-cooking conditions to enhance health.

In Aceh and Northern Sumatra, HKI is conducting a Rapid Emergency Assessment and Prioritization (REAP) in order to coordinate relief efforts. Through REAP, HKI will be able to determine the conditions and coverage of basic assistance and recovery for the next six months. In the first few weeks of the assessment, HKI will evaluate the basic living conditions of the affected areas and help direct services such as clean water, shelter, food, sanitation and medical care to those in need. Data about diarrhea, pneumonia, malaria and nutrition will be collected to complement the distribution of micronutrients through SUM. The information that HKI gathers will be shared with all groups involved in the relief and rebuilding efforts to assist in their collaboration.

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