Indonesia Red Cross Sends Sanitation Expert To Nepal

Jakarta, May 2 (Antara) - The Indonesia Red Cross (PMI) has sent a water and sanitation expert to Nepal as part of a post-earthquake humanity mission, head of disaster management division of PMI Muhammad Hadi said here Saturday. "The expert will join the Regional Disaster Response Team (RDRT) of the Red Cross Federation and International Red Cross Crescent for the Asia Pacific region for at least one month," he added. The expert traveled to Nepal on Friday (May 1) via Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Kathamandu. The Indonesian expert will work with the Philippine Red Cross and Thailand Red Cross, and will be in charge as a team leader. "Whatever the disaster is, water is the main need. Therefore, we will send a person who is an expert in water and sanitation management to join RDRT," Hadi said, adding that the Red Cross' priority assistance is establishing a water supply, along with providing food and shelter. Earlier, the PMI sent a surgical team and 500 tents to Nepal, along with volunteers. While in Nepal, the water and sanitation team will manage water processing equipment, including water purification, water consumption assessment, the search for water sources, and building a sanitation system. A 7.9 RS earthquake struck Nepal on Saturday (April 25), leaving 6,500 people dead and thousands injured.