On September 28, 2018, a series of earthquakes measuring up to 7.5 on the Richter scale shook the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. The quakes triggered tidal waves up to six meters high that devastated the area around the city of Palu, on the island’s north coast. The tsunami consumed people and homes alike, destroying large areas of the island. The disaster took more than 4,300 lives. Over 220,000 people lost their homes. Entire villages were destroyed, including their streets, schools and businesses, and entire harvests were ruined. Six months after the disaster, many of the survivors are still fighting for survival.
To prevent the outbreak of epidemics and diseases, the region urgently required relief measures. Survivors needed food, drinking water and emergency shelter. According to estimates by the United Nations, around 191,000 people needed emergency relief.
With its fundraising campaign, "ZF hilft." was able to provide aid in two ways: