MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Mercy Corps, a Global Relief and Development Organization, Fosters Long-Term Recovery in Tsunami-affected Aceh, Indonesia, through Microfinance

Mercy Corps, a global relief organization, has recently transitioned Aceh, Indonesia, from short-term emergency relief to long-term recovery through microfinance and microcredit solutions. The organization was initially involved in delivering emergency items, including food, hygiene supplies and building materials to the devastated coastal region of Aceh, Indonesia, in the wake of the massive earthquake on December 26, 2004, and the ensuing tsunami that destroyed cities across 13 countries and killed almost 230,000 people. [1]

Five years after the tsunami, Mercy Corps has since fostered long-term recovery through microfinance. Its microcredit program has assisted local women’s groups in executing rebuilding projects, helped to recapitalize traditional banks and provided farmers with access to microcredit. [1] “Mercy Corps believes that communities are most capable of solving their own problems. Empowering them is the best way to ensure lasting peace and development in Aceh,” said Mercy Corps’ Aceh Program Director Rod Volway.

By: Jay Kumar, Research Assistant

About Mercy Corps:

Founded in 1979, Mercy Corps is a non-profit organization engaged primarily in humanitarian aid and development. The agency’s global program reports 3,700 staff worldwide and reaches roughly 17 million people in more than 40 countries. Since its founding, Mercy Corps has supplied USD 1.95 billion in assistance to people in 107 nations.

Additional Resources:

1.) Source Article: “Five years after Indian Ocean tsunami, Mercy Corps fosters long-term recovery in Indonesia”, http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/VDUX-7YXP58?OpenDocument

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