A TEAM of volunteers from Chilmark-based Team Rubicon UK are putting their Christmas plans on hold to help communities devastated by a tsunami in Indonesia.

On Saturday, giant waves crashed into coastal towns on the islands of Sumatra and Java with no warning, killing at least 281 people and injuring over a thousand.

It is likely the team of five will be deployed tomorrow on Christmas Day.

Paul Taylor who is leading the team said: "The plan is we are going to work with an Indonesian charity. There has been no request for international assistance as yet so we are seeking to empower a local charity we were working with in Palu. We will do that by providing drone and water purification capabilities."

Team Rubicon has been working with authorities and local NGOs in region since the Lombok earthquake in August, providing drone damage assessments and specialist equipment to provide clean, safe water to thousands of people.

Its most recent operation, in response to the Palu earthquake and tsunami on the island of Sulawesi, only concluded on December 14.

The team on arrival will be liaising with the charities to identify where there is the most need for help such as need for its water purfication kits for those who have been displaced as a result of the tsunami.

Volunteers will also use drones to help assess the damage to the area.

"We will use our drone team to pilot the drone and then most importantly once it comes back in it is then the task of sitting on the laptop and turning that footage that has been captured by the drone into information and intelligence by analysis," added Paul.

"From an aerial perspective it is just much easier than people walking around the streets trying to assess what the damage is. If we can fly a path over the top of an area it is much easier to do that."

The volunteers will be flying into Jakarta and make the four hour drive to the affected area when they arrive.

Paul said: "We will sit down with local charities and see how we can best help and then move out from Jakarta as quickly as we can."

"We just assist in the best way that we possibley can," he added.

Volunteers at the disaster response charity are packing kit bags and emergency equipment ready to travel to Indonesia.

Paul said: "It is really important when a disaster happens at this time of year for us in the UK we can't say 'well hey, you know what thanks very much but it's Christmas Eve and we'll maybe come out in a couple of days'. It's on us to say there are far more important things going on, people have lost their lives in your country so we are going to help as soon as we possibly can."

Paul, who has also been leading the team in Palu, said: "For me this is the 12th or 13th time I have been on international deployment and I was in Palu quite recently so for me it is wanting to go back and help our partners and go back and help the people of Indonesia. I guess for the other members of the team it is that as well and maybe a little bit of trepidation, which isn't a bad thing.

"In a place like Indonesia we can't afford to be blase because we are going to respond to a tsunami in that area of the world that is prone to natural hazards. There could may well be an earthquake while we're there or a big aftershock or another underwater landslide from this volcano which could cause another tsuanmi so there are all kinds of risks that we plan for back here."

Team Rubicon UK CEO, Richard Sharp, has praised the charity's volunteers.

He said: “After this most torrid of years, I just can’t imagine the feeling in Indonesia after yet another tsunami and my heart goes out to the families caught up in this.

"It's the most humbling moment of my career to watch our incredible volunteer responders put their Christmas on hold, put themselves in harm's way, and fly to the other side of the world to help the survivors.”

Paul is urging the public to show their support for Team Rubicon UK and says any donations would be "gratefully received" and will help support the charity's work in Indonesia.

To support the charity go to teamrubiconuk.org