|TOP|Tearfund recently expressed concern that local communities in Indonesia are not getting the early warning they need to stay alive in the event of another tsunami event in the Pacific, following the recent tsunami that hit the Indonesian island of Java on Monday.

The loss of some 500 lives indicates the dangers of those living along the coast face.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) issued a warning at 9:46 BST saying: “a destructive widespread tsunami threat does not exist based on historical earthquake and tsunami data. However - there is the possibility of a local tsunami that could affect coasts located usually no more than a hundred kilometers from the earthquake epicenter. Authorities for the region near the epicenter should be aware of this possibility.”

|AD|Tearfund Operations Manager, Jon Kennedy said: “I heard of the possibility of a tsunami in London half an hour before disaster struck, but these local communities heard nothing. This demonstrates that effective early warning systems are only as good as the weakest link – in this case those living on the coast who needed to hear. The PTWC did not recognize the extent of the danger and this combined with the lack of community ownership of the early warning network meant that more than 500 died unnecessarily. Tearfund has lobbied hard to ensure local communities are fully involved in owning and planning to avoid the impact of disasters. It’s clear that we need to continue to make sure we change the way we respond to these crises and learn the lessons.”

The toll from Monday's tsunami climbed to 550 on Wednesday, while 275 people are still missing.

More than 54,000 people were displaced from wrecked fishing villages and beach resorts, adding to the rehabilitation burden for the authorities after an earthquake that killed more than 5,700 people in central Java less than two months ago.

No tsunami warning system was set up for the southern coast of Java after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that left 230,000 killed or missing, including 170,000 in Indonesia.

Tearfund is one of the UK’s leading relief and development agencies, working in partnership with Christian agencies and churches around the world to tackle the causes and effects of poverty. Tearfund is a member of the Disasters Emergency Committee.