Last Friday a 7.4 magnitude earthquake triggered a devastating tsunami that engulfed the coast of Palu city. There was barely any warning and people had little time to escape to higher ground. Over 1,300 people have died. Schools and hospitals were flattened, a bridge collapsed and now landslides are putting even more lives in danger. And, as rescuers work around the clock to find survivors in the rubble, the death toll is expected to rise even further.

Oxfam is on the ground in Palu city and Donggala district where we are aiming to reach 500,000 people in desperate need. It’s a race against time to save lives. In the coming days and weeks, we will be distributing tarpaulins, food and hygiene kits, and setting up clean water supplies. Our teams will be working closely with villages and evacuation sites to prevent deadly diseases like cholera, which can easily spread in disaster zones.