In the aftermath of the magnitude 9 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake and Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, a huge number of international responders launched rescue and relief missions in Aceh Province of Indonesia. Thousands of voluntary personnel came to help the wounded, assist with recovery, and rebuild damaged communities. As is often the case with disasters, the necessary disaster management manpower was not immediately athand. Consequently, rescue and relief missions did not coordinate with one another, and chaotic inefficiency prevailed.

Just a little over a year after the 2004 earthquake and tsunami, a second disaster occurred in Indonesia following a major earthquake that occurred in May 2006 on Indonesia's most populous island. The May 2006 earthquake killed 5,000 people in Yogyakarta Province, located in the central region of Java Island.