As the reported death toll following the earthquake which hit the area around Yogyakarta, Indonesia, nears 5,000 a Salvation Army's locally-based Compassion in Action team is on the ground providing assistance to survivors.

Commissioner Johannes Watilete, leader of The Salvation Army in Indonesia, reports that the first team of 10 specialist medical workers, including doctors and nurses from the organisation's William Booth Hospital in Semarang, has set up operations in the town of Bantul. In addition to providing emergency medical care there, relief team members have travelled to the village of Wade where they distributed tents to families sleeping in paddy fields.

Major Dina Ismael, relief coordinator, reports that the team is employing the methods which were successful developed during the tsunami response last year.

'Our Compassion in Action teams will be on hand to offer continuous assistance to those who have suffered. Personnel will be rotated on a weekly basis to maintain the support programme and sustain the assistance we are providing. In addition to the medical field hospitals, our teams will also provide tents and other urgently needed relief supplies.'

A fundraising appeal has been launched and an immediate grant of $20,000 has been sent to the area by The Salvation Army's International Headquarters to kick start the relief operation. Donations can be made to The Salvation Army's South Pacific and East Asia Disaster Fund at this web site using a major credit card.