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Awareness

Leanne Aherne, Lombok earthquake survivor urges Limerick to support the people of Indonesia

Those affected by the Lombok earthquake have been left without homes, have lost family and friends, and are left with limited resources like medicine, food, water, shelter, clothes and more. They need help fast.

Leanne Aherne, Lombok earthquake survivor asks Limerick to help the people of Indonesia

By ilovelimerick Correspondent Cathal Doherty

Limerick woman, Leanne Aherne is currently in Bali, Indonesia after the devastating Lombok earthquake. Leanne was on the Gili Islands in Indonesia when the earthquake struck and it was the first big natural disaster that she has experienced.


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The first earthquake struck on the 29th of July in Lombok and the Gili Islands, measuring at a 6.4 magnitude. This was the trigger of many more to follow. One week later on the 5th of August, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake hit with over 300 aftershocks, many of which were 5.0 or greater.

“I was luckily on the beach when it happened. The electricity cut on the island so we were in complete darkness. Tourists and locals all started to run for the hill in case of a tsunami. Everyone was terrified, so we decided to head up the hill just to be safe. We stayed there all night and then slept on the beach the following night to stay away from the buildings. There were so many people trying to flee on boats the next day and it took 2 days for us to get evacuated from the island,” Leanne told ilovelimerick.

Leanne is currently urging the people of Limerick to please help the people of Indonesia and more specifically Lombok and the Gili Islands in any way they can as she is unharmed but there are thousands of men, women and children that were affected badly by these series of earthquakes and after-shocks.

Lombok earthquake

Those affected by the Lombok earthquake have been left without homes, have lost family and friends, and are left with limited resources like medicine, food, water, shelter, clothes and more. They need help fast.

“All of the Indonesians were so amazing in helping us to leave the island and we were welcomed with food, water, transport and security the least we can do is offer this support in return. 25,000 people lost their homes in this earthquake. The Government is already helping but I’m just trying to raise awareness to the scale of this unfortunate event. Even €2 is enough to supply a person in Lombok with rice and fresh water for a week,” Leanne said.

The locals have been left without homes, have lost family and friends, and are left with limited resources like medicine, food, water, shelter, clothes and more. They need help fast.

The Gili Relief Group is a task force put together by the people who were living and working on Gili Trawangan, one of the islands affected by the earthquakes. They have 50+ people from over 10 businesses from the island who are working to raise funds in order to get the supplies that the local people need to stay safe and eventually rebuild.

The biggest group is in Bali with a few people in Lombok helping with distribution. “We’re doing the best we can as a community to support the friends and family we have over in Lombok,” says Seth Emerick, owner of Tir Na Nog Irish Bar on Gili Trawangan and leader of the Gili Relief Group in Bali. “Any support that we can get from around the world would be appreciated.”

 

You can show your support and help by donating to the Gili Relief Group’s GoFundMe Campaign, here

 Or if you have any contacts you think can be helpful or questions you have you can email the Gili Relief Campaign here, [email protected]

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Richard is a presenter, producer, songwriter and actor. He was named the Limerick Person of the Year (2011) and won an online award at the Metro Éireann Media and Multicultural Awards (2011) for promoting multi-culturalism online. Richard says that the ilovelimerick.com concept is very much a community driven project that aims to document life in Limerick. So, that in 20 years time people can look back and remember the events that were making the headlines.