The NZDF has transported components of a water purification plant to the Indonesian city of Palu, to help ease the acute shortage of drinking water in areas hardest hit by last month’s earthquake and tsunami. / NZDF
The Indonesian Government has told some foreign aid agencies working on the island of Sulawesi following the devastating earthquake and tsunami there to leave.
The New Zealand Red Cross is unaffected by the order because of its affiliation with the Indonesian Red Cross.
The official death toll stands at 1948, with another 10,000 injured and 5000 still missing. Some 70,000 people have been displaced.
The United Nations humanitarian agency, UNOCHA, estimates about 200,000 people require urgent humanitarian aid.
Indonesia's national disaster management authority (BNPB) issued regulations for international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which were not registered as local NGOs.
"Foreign NGOs who have deployed foreign personnel are advised to retrieve their personnel immediately," the BNPB said on its website, according to international media reports.
Indonesia had allowed foreign NGOs to operate in Sulawesi following the September 28 quake which triggered a tsunami, but aid workers had complained of limited access to affected areas and confusing instructions, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said that at this point, New Zealand's $5 million assistance package to Indonesia was not affected by the regulations for international NGOs.
"Our assistance has either been directly requested by the Government of Indonesia, including the deployment of a RNZAF C-130 Hercules, or is being delivered by Indonesia-based humanitarian partners, in line with the Government of Indonesia's Sulawesi emergency response plan," the spokesman said in a statement.
A New Zealand Red Cross spokeswoman said the organisation was unaffected by the order because it was partnering with the Indonesia Red Cross. There were more than 600 Indonesian Red Cross volunteers on the ground and the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) and Red Crescent Societies were also providing support.
A Hercules deployed by the NZDF arrived in Balikpapan with 8.2 tonnes of emergency supplies.
Red Cross teams were focused on providing medical treatment and first aid, distributing relief items such as water, tarpaulins, blankets, mats, jerrycans and family kits, the spokeswoman said.
A team of four Red Cross IT and telecommunications specialists left New Zealand on Monday to work re-establishing networks in affected areas.
Mark Mitchell, chairman of the Council for International Development's humanitarian network, did not believe any New Zealand organisations were impacted by the order because they worked with local partners.
"It is about maintaining local ownership, contextually appropriate responses for the greatest impact," he said.
Money raised in New Zealand did go to its local partners and its spending was monitored, he said.
A Defence spokesman said no restrictions had been placed on the NZDF assistance to Indonesia and the Hercules would finish its week-long deployment tomorrow as scheduled.
The NZDF said it had transported components of a water purification plant to the city of Palu to help ease an acute shortage of drinking water in the hardest hit areas.
Flight Lieutenant Dave Natapu, aircraft captain from the Royal New Zealand Air Force's No.40 Squadron, said the Hercules delivered the equipment yesterday.
The plant was donated by France, and the Air Force also transported 32 French engineers to install it.
"Water supply is one of the key necessities in the aftermath of any disaster," Natapu said.
"There are obvious dangers in people drinking water from potentially contaminated sources, so having this water purification system would help address that."
The Hercules and the 15-member detachment have helped transport more than 53 tonnes of international aid to quake-damaged areas since arriving with 8.2 tonnes of aid last week.
