Springfield’s Convoy of Hope responds to tsunami in Indonesia

Jessi HawkinsVolunteer Spotlight

*Photo: A man carries recovered items from the damaged warehouse from Friday’s tsunami at a neighborhood in Donggala, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018. A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck at dusk on Friday, Sept. 28, generating the tsunami said to have been as high as 6 meters (20 feet) in places. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Springfield’s Convoy of Hope is responding to a devastating earthquake, tsunami in Indonesia.

A 7.5 magnitude earthquake, struck the Indonesian island of Sulawesi on Friday. That triggered the tsunami. The death toll has risen to nearly 1,400 victims. Officials expect that number to significantly rise.

According to the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management, an estimated 2.4 million have been affected by the disaster. The damage has displaced another 61,000.

Convoy of Hope’s Disaster Services Team deployed Tuesday morning from Springfield, Missouri, and made their way to Palu, Indonesia.

Jeff Nene, Convoy of Hope’s national spokesperson, says, “The team is headed for Palu, where they will meet up with a network of churches and partners in the area. Our goal is to purchase food, water and other supplies to help those affected by the tsunami. We will bring water filtration systems and solar lanterns to distribute to families and communities in need.”

Once they arrive, Convoy of Hope will meet with partners and assess the situation to further develop their response strategy. To follow Convoy’s response, click HERE.