The International Organization for Migration
today helped dozens of injured survivors of Saturday’s
earthquake on Indonesia’s Java Island and their family
members return to their communities from regional hospitals.

More than 130 people, including 60 who were
treated in hospitals in Yogjakarta and Klaten, received assistance
returning home.

“I can’t wait to see my
family,” said 49-year-old Rahman, nursing a broken right leg.
“My brother is here with me but we have very little
information from our village. I don’t care if I live in a
tent or in the fields tonight, I just want to be with my
family.”

In addition to IOM which has opened small
office at Yogjakarta’s Sardjito Hospital to help coordinate
the return of newly released patients, some local non-governmental
organizations are also providing transportation services.

The Organization will also ferry patients
awaiting surgery in Bentul’s overstretched hospital to the US
Marine mobile field hospital which is scheduled to open Thursday
morning.

IOM is also searching for alternate
accommodation in Yogjakarta to board those survivors who are not
prepared to go back to their villages, many of which were
completely razed by the dawn 6.3 magnitude quake.

Meanwhile, IOM trucks are criss-crossing
Yogjakarta and Central Java provinces, delivering approximately 150
tons of food and non-food items including tents, tarpaulins and
water purifiers on behalf of foreign and domestic relief groups and
local government since Monday afternoon.

IOM has opened relief posts at airports in
both Surakarta (Solo) and Jogjakarta and trucks are on standby at
both locations in order to speed the delivery of aid.

For more information, please contact:

Paul Dillon

National Press Officer

Banda Aceh, Indonesia

Tel: +62 812 698 8035

Email: "mailto:pdillon@iom.int">pdillon@iom.int

Shima Roy

Information Officer

Tel: 0811.947.143

Email: "mailto:sroy@iom.int" title=
"mailto:sroy@iom.int">sroy@iom.int