NPR

'Tragedy Everywhere': Aid Groups Scramble Against Time After Indonesian Tsunami

Nearly a week since a huge earthquake and tsunami, rescuer and relief workers are fighting to overcome delays and despair in Indonesia. Meanwhile, the death toll has grown to more than 1,500 people.
A search-and-rescue team member scans the ruins of an area in Palu, on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi on Thursday. Of the more than 1,500 people who died in the disaster, authorities say more than 1,200 lived in Palu.

Nearly a week after an earthquake struck Sulawesi, spawning a massive tsunami that overwhelmed the Indonesian island's central coast, aid groups are finally getting a foothold in the badly battered region — though challenges remain immense for relief and recovery efforts.

"Some people are now receiving basic food items like rice, noodles and canned food, but this remains a small minority. The food situation in Palu remains dire, and with

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR2 min read
Police Enter UCLA Anti-war Encampment; Arizona Repeals Civil War-era Abortion Ban
Law enforcement officers have moved into a pro-Palestinian encampment at UCLA. Arizona lawmakers voted to repeal a Civil War-era abortion ban.
NPR3 min readAmerican Government
A Michigan Grassroots Effort Is Raising Reparations, While The Government Lags
The year 2020 was a turning point for Lansing, Michigan resident Willye Bryan. Between the racial reckoning following the murder of George Floyd and the health disparities that hit the African American community during the pandemic, she knew it was t
NPR4 min read
A Poet Searches For Answers About The Short Life Of A Writer In 'Traces Of Enayat'
Poet Iman Mersal's book is a memoir of her search for knowledge about the writer Enayat al-Zayyat; it's a slow, idiosyncratic journey through a layered, changing Cairo — and through her own mind.

Related Books & Audiobooks