The people of Sulawesi can not rest. "So far, there are still aftershocks, people are afraid," says Sabtarina Dwi Febriyanti in a telephone conversation with the SPIEGEL. The aid organization World Vision was in Palu when the city was hit by earthquakes and then by tsunamis. Because of the aftershocks, many people preferred to stay outside and did not go back to their homes, says Dwi Febriyanti. "This is chaos," she sums up the situation.

According to United Nations estimates, a total of 191,000 people in Indonesia need emergency aid. Among those affected were 46,000 children and 14,000 elderly people. As a result, many of those affected lived far away from the urban centers that government aid usually focuses on. "Many regions are cut off from the outside world due to landslides and floods," says Wolfgang Tyderle, Emergency Relief Coordinator for Care.

Even the coastal city of Palu is still difficult to reach, reports Dwi Febriyanti. Large parts of the infrastructure were damaged, roads and parts of the airport are destroyed. Although the airport is now open again, many machines can not land yet.

That's why there are supply bottlenecks, says the World Vision employee: "What we need most of all is electricity, food and clean water." Also accommodations are missing. In addition, it has been raining for two days.

Rescue teams looking for victims complain of a lack of equipment. Nugroho Budi Wiryanto, director of state search teams in Palu city, says: "There is hardly any heavy equipment and practically no fuel, which makes it very difficult for us to rescue victims." Helpers are digging for buried people with their hands, report relief organizations.

Tsunami in Indonesia: More than 800 dead

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Large parts of the city are in ruins, says Dwi Febriyanti. "It's so hard to see that." World Vision is concerned and helper at the same time. Her office was destroyed, one employee is still missing. According to Dwi Febriyanti, about 200 people currently live in the tent camp established by the organization. Among them were employees, but also after the disaster homeless families. The helpers took special care of around 40 children. "We sing together, do activities with them so they can forget what they've experienced," says Dwi Febriyanti. In addition, the organization provides those affected with relief supplies.

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Tsunami in Indonesia: Desperate search for survivors

Dwi Febriyanti has lived in Palu for nine years. Almost every day the earth quakes here, she says. Indonesia lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, the geologically most active zone on earth. But never before had she experienced a similar magnitude earthquake. She was with her colleagues in the now destroyed office: "We were afraid, we cried, we tried to run outside," she describes the moment of the disaster. "Some fell, others tried to help them, it was total chaos." Once outside, they would only have prayed.

Meanwhile Indonesia has requested international help. According to the official interim report, at least 844 people were killed on Sulawesi, the country's fourth largest island. However, according to the civil protection, this is only a casualty, which has already been identified. Many dead are still out.

In addition, it is feared that in remote areas many victims have not even been discovered. The government estimates that the number will eventually run into the thousands.