A deadly earthquake struck Cianjur, West Java on November 21, 2022, killing 602 people and forcing more than 110,000 people to evacuate. A-PAD Indonesia provided relief items and WASH ​​support in the affected areas from November 2022 to April 2023.

A-PAD Indonesia worked with its local partner, RT/RW (Neighborhood Association) in Cianjur, to help install water and sanitation facilities that can be used semi-permanently even after reconstruction.

On July 2, 2024, 40 people from the Health Bureau, the Regional Disaster Management Agency, and civil society groups involved in WASH activities after the Cianjur earthquake gathered for a workshop for strengthening WASH stakeholders in emergency responses.

At the workshop, participants looked back on WASH activities to date, and the leaders of RT/RW (ERT/ERW) explained the current situation in Cianjur. Many of the communal bathing and toilets (MCKs) that were installed in the affected areas after the earthquake have been incorporated into private homes. In Cibulakan village, one of the supported areas, the water tanks and facilities are managed as a shared asset for the area. Residents have installed their own water meters and pay a usage fee (set at a low price) which is used to support the education of children who have lost their parents, and to pay for school meals for children in the area.

For over a year and a half, A-PAD Indonesia has been working to serve as a hub for the private sector network for emergency response. This workshop was held to share the role, experience, and knowledge that the WASH sub-cluster has played in disaster response.

WASH staff from the Indonesian Red Cross also participated and reported on their support activities after the earthquake. In addition, a UNICEF staff member who served as the water and sanitation cluster leader in Cianjur spoke about the need for WASH support during disasters and his role and achievements as a cluster leader.

After the workshop, A-PAD Indonesia began a discussion with one of the participating organizations, RE-ACT, to enter into an MOU for future collaboration. RE-ACT is an emergency and crisis response charity based in the UK, made up of military veterans, that dispatches emergency response teams overseas.

This project was implemented as part of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs NGO Collaboration Grant Aid Project.