About the Situation
By the Numbers
More than 245,613,000 people live in Indonesia
13% of the people in Indonesia live below the poverty line
Nearly 50% of the population lives on less than $2 a day
(Sources: U.S. government and the World Bank)
Indonesia, home to the largest Muslim population in the world, has made significant strides in reducing poverty, according to the World Food Programme. In recent years, the number of impoverished in Indonesia has fallen below 14%. Yet, half of Indonesia’s 245 million residents still survive on less than $2 a day, and 87 million Indonesians are food insecure.
The WFP also reports that Indonesia remains geographically vulnerable because it lies on volcanic fault lines, and is therefore susceptible to earthquakes as well as flooding, tsunamis and drought.
How Islamic Relief is Helping
Islamic ReliefTM began working in Indonesia in 2000, and opened an office in Jakarta in 2003 to implement and maintain long-term relief and development programs. Islamic Relief continues to work on rehabilitation projects in response to natural disasters that have hit the area.
Here are some current and recently completed programs in Indonesia:
- Education programs
- Emergency relief
Islamic Relief was quick to respond to three emergency situations in India: in 2004, a tsunami in the Indian Ocean left thousands dead and caused billions of dollars in damage; in 2006 thousands were killed and injured after a 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck the Yogyakarta province in Indonesia; in 2009, another earthquake struck the region, causing mass destruction. Islamic Relief supplied survivors with essentials, including clothing, utensils, food, emergency relief kits and more to help families rebuild. - One-to-one orphan sponsorships
- Ramadan food distribution
- Sustainable livelihood projects
- Udhiyah/Qurbani meat distribution
- Water and sanitation access
