A quake measuring 6.2 on the Richter Scale shook Yogyakarta area, Indonesia, a densely populated region, early on Saturday May 27. Four quakes (5am, 8am, 9am, 11am) and 74 aftershocks have been reported. Around 2,900 people have died and around 5,000 people are wounded. It seems that the most affected place is Bantul, a town two hours by car from Yogyakarta, in the south-east, where around 1,400 people died.

MSF is present in Yogyakarta with a team of two (a nurse and a logistician) who were brought in from a cholera project in Wamena (Papua). Today (Sunday), two psychologists from the project in Sigli (Aceh province, Sumatra), two doctors from Jakarta, and a complete surgical team from Banda Aceh will join the team in Yogyakarta.

By this evening, a team of three people (medical emergency coordinator, emergency logistician and a nurse) plus two nephrologists (a doctor and a nurse) will leave from Brussels.

Another team of four people (doctor, nurse, log/watsan, admin/fin) will be moved from the cholera project in Wamena to Yogyakarta.

In Yogyakarta, the airport is not functioning. The closest airport is in Solon a town two hours far away from Yogyakarta.

Moving around is a major problem. There are traffic jams due to chaos and panic, and the airport is not functioning.

The hospitals in Yogyakarta are overcrowded and they are requesting tents because woundeds are afraid to sleep inside the building.

By Sunday evening, three tons of medical (surgical kits, dressings, perfusions, etc.) and logistical supplies will arrive by truck and by plane.