Supplies pre-positioned with Australia’s support critical to humanitarian response in Indonesia

17 Oct 2018

A new mother receives essential health and hygiene supplies, distributed through the Reproductive Health Sub-cluster led by the Indonesian Ministry of Health. UNFPA pre-positions these vital supplies with support form Australia, so they are immediately available at the onset of a disaster. © RH Sub-cluster – MOH/UNFPA

When the devastating earthquake, tsunami and soil liquefaction struck Central Sulawesi Province, Indonesia, on 28 September, the Government of Indonesia was quick to launch an emergency response. With Australia’s support, UNFPA has been able to contribute to this Government-led effort by rapidly delivering vital supplies and services to affected women and girls.

UNFPA is supporting the emergency response through the Reproductive Health Sub-cluster, led by Indonesia’s Ministry of Health, and the Women’s Rights Protection Sub-cluster led by the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection. In addition, UNFPA is providing technical assistance on humanitarian data, projections and GIS directly to BNPB, Indonesia’s Disaster Management Agency.

In the disaster’s aftermath, UNFPA quickly drew upon supplies from the Regional Pre-positioning Initiative funded by Australia, promptly receiving 15 tents from the warehouse in Brisbane. These were flown into affected areas by the Australian Defence Force, along with other vital relief supplies requested by the Government of Indonesia and provided by Australia.

One of 15 tents rapidly supplied by Australia through the Regional Pre-positioning Initiative has been set up as a reproductive health tent in Wombo Kalonggo Camp. Over 1,000 people affected by the disaster will receive vital services there. © RH Sub-cluster – MOH/UNFPA

Both the Reproductive Health Sub-cluster and the Women's Rights Protection Sub-cluster are making use of the tents, turning them into reproductive health tents and women-friendly spaces – both of which provide vital services for women and girls displaced by the disaster. On 12 October, Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, OCHA head Mark Lowcock and World Bank CEO Kristalina Georgieva visited one of the reproductive health tents.

Through the pre-positioning initiative, UNFPA has also distributed hygiene, maternity, post-delivery and newborn kits containing essential items for women and girls. More than 6,500 kits are being distributed through the Reproductive Health Sub-cluster and the Women’s Rights Protection Sub-cluster. In total, $278,000 worth of supplies have been funded by Australia.

Supporting Government-led emergency preparedness efforts – and in particular the pre-positioning of essential supplies to address sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence – has been a game changer for UNFPA. In 2018 alone, Australia’s support through the Regional Pre-positioning Initiative has made life-saving supplies immediately available in 17 emergency responses across nine countries in the Asia Pacific region.