History

On 26 December 2004, an earthquake measuring 9 on the Richter scale struck the western end of Indonesia's Sumatra Island at 6:58 a.m. local time, flattening buildings and generating a huge tsunami. Witnesses reported walls of water up to the tops of coconut palms, about 10 to 15 meters high. The tsunami rushed across the coastal regions of Aceh, most of the western coast of Sumatra, and some small islands off the mainland. The epicentre of the earthquake was located 155 miles south-east of the provincial capital of Banda Aceh near Aceh Barat District.

The earthquake and tsunami left a path of destruction of unprecedented dimensions. Around a quarter of a million people are reported dead or missing, including around five percent of Aceh’s pre-tsunami population of 4.4 million. Over 400,000 others have been displaced from their homes. About 40 percent of those that are affected are children or adolescents. New data from surveys of displaced communities suggest that a disproportionate number of females – the mothers of the young people – may have died in the disaster.

In the second day of the tsunami, Dr. Ridwan Gustiana, founder of IBU foundation, led a team of around 20 people consisting of medical doctors and supporting team members in relief efforts, it took almost 5 days for the team to arrive in the disaster area in Meulaboh, Aceh Barat, cutting destroyed roads and bridges to get to the site. Within 3 months time the team had grown. These volunteers provided direct medical services, psychosocial services and distributed huge amount of food and other items to the survivors. In total, 115 volunteers consisting of medical doctors, psychologists, and engineers had already contributed their time and effort. On June 3rd 2005, responding to the need of long-term commitment for helping the survivors, Dr. Ridwan Gustiana, supported by the volunteers who had joined the relief effort, established IBU: a fully fledged national NGO which is registered as a foundation.