Description of the disaster

On 28 September 2018, a series of strong earthquakes struck Central Sulawesi Province. The strongest of which measured at 7.4 magnitude and 10km deep with the epicentre in Donggala Regency, close to the provincial capital Palu.

The earthquake triggered a tsunami which reached up to three meters in some areas, striking Talise beach in Palu and Donggala. The earthquakes, tsunami and resulting liquefaction and landslides caused significant damage and loss of life in affected areas.

As of 18 July 2019, the government reported that 4,140 people died in the disaster, of which 1,016 were not identified; and a further 705 people remain missing. More than 4,400 were seriously injured and more than 110,000 houses destroyed, damaged or lost due to the earthquake, tsunami or liquefaction. Of these, 27,662 houses were severely damaged while more than 6,500 were lost (mainly due to liquefaction). In its wake, almost 173,000 people were displaced. Some people continue living in government-constructed barracks (huntaras), while othersinitially took shelter in their damaged homes or with relatives in other communities or within theirs.

More than 320 district and community-based health facilities plus 1,300 schools were also damaged.
The status of government response is on the recovery phase.

COVID-19 in Indonesia and Central Sulawesi province

On 13 April 2020, the government declared a state of emergency for COVID-19 as a non-natural disaster in Indonesia. The number of confirmed cases has continued to increase significantly since the announcement of the first two cases in March 2020. For latest COVID-19 figures, click here.

The Indonesian Ministry of Health activated 132 referral hospitals in 33 provinces for COVID-19 case management. The government also established an emergency hospital for COVID-19 quarantine and treatment in Galang Island of Riau Islands Province.

NGOs present in Central Sulawesi, most of which have been responding to the 2018 earthquake and tsunami, are coordinating COVID-19 responses to track activities and provide support to the provincial government. Requests to reactivate the health cluster, including for psychosocial support, were raised by NGOs to provide a formal coordination mechanism for all the actors in the province.

Source: International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies