Situation report: 19 May 2006

This situation report is based on information provided by the office of the United Nations Resident / Humanitarian Coordinator (RC/HC)'s office in Jakarta.

Situation

The volcanic activity of Mt. Merapi has calmed down, however smany small volcanic tremors and pyroclastic (heat clouds) flows have still been observed.

On 19 May, Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) reported that 907 People were in shelters in Boyolali District, 8,866 in Magelang, 6,163 in Sleman, and 4,144 in Klaten, totalling to 20,080 persons.

Some evacuees prefer to remain together with their extended families, causing overcrowding. Also, some move between their villages and shelters without prior notice, which makes determining actual needs and planning response efforts more difficult. Preliminary information from the Inter-Agency Mission highlights the urgent need for a hygiene promotion campaign in all districts.

National response

On 18 May, the District Governor in Magelang reported that the Central Java provincial government had established a provincial command post in Magelang to coordinate response activities of the three affected districts of Magelang, Boyolali, and Klaten.

Abbreviations
· BAKORNAS PB: National Coordinating Board for the Management of Disaster
· BPPTK: Center for Volcano Research and Technology Development
· MENKOKESRA: Deputy for Disaster Management of Coordinating Ministry for People's Welfare
· ORARI: Amateur Radio Organization of Indonesia
· PDAM: local state owned water company
· PMI: Palang Merah Indonesia (Indonesian Red Cross)
· SATLAK: District Disaster Management Committee
· SATKORLAK: Provincial Coordinating Unit for the Management of Disasters
· SO2: sulphur oxide

Mount Merapi Volcano related
· Gunung Merapi likely to erupt