Direct Relief has offered emergency medical assistance to partners in Indonesia following the 7.6-magnitude earthquake that struck off Sumatra earlier today. News reports say that the quake has killed 75 people and has trapped thousands under rubble, as many buildings have been damaged in the city of Padang, including a hospital.

Direct Relief staff reached out to partners and other nongovernmental organizations upon news of the quake to determine the most needed and appropriate medical aid. They include: Muhammadiyah, Indonesia’s largest civic organization, which Direct Relief has supported following the 2004 tsunami and earthquake in Jogjakarta; Yayasan Bumi Sehat, which operates a respected clinic in Aceh (on Sumatra island); Sumba Foundation, which provides primary care through its clinics in Bali and Sumba island; and Australian Aid International, a team of traveling emergency-response doctors specially trained in field medicine, who travel from their base in Melbourne, Australia. They are currently sending a medical team to the Philippines, where flooding fromTyphoon Ketsana has caused a widespread emergency.

These partnerships were built during the extensive and ongoing response to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Direct Relief has extensive experience providing aid in the region, and is prepared to assist as medical needs are determined.