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More relief aid for Bengkulu quake victims
arrives
Geneva, Thursday, 8 June 2000:
Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare and Poverty Eradication Basri
Hasanuddin, quoted by "The Indonesian Observer" daily in Jakarta yesterday,
said that Indonesian Air Force planes have delivered 20 tons of rice as
well as medicine, tents and medical personnel to the devastated area. Meanwhile,
two Indonesian naval ships have also arrived with emergency supplies.
"The Jakarta Post" daily reported
today that the Government of Bengkulu Province had set up a team to collect
emergency aid and distribute it to victims as more relief supplies reached
the province Wednesday. It also reported that South Sumatra and Lampung,
Bengkulu's neighboring provinces, and a number of non-governmental organizations
have sent rescue teams and dispatched food and medical suppliy packages
to the devastated territory.
The Governor of Lampung Province,
as quoted by "Antara" national news agency yesterday, said that he had
organized a program to gather basic commodities, medical personnel and
medicine to continue helping the survivors in Bengkulu Province. The Governor
has called on the private sector and governmental institutions in Lampung
to help him gather more donations for the people in Bengkulu. Lampung and
Bengkulu have special relationship as many extended families are spread
accross the two neighboring provinces.
As with similar emergencies in the
past, the Indonesian Disaster Management Co-ordinating Board (Bakornas
PB) coordinates the related government agencies including the military
and civil authorities for the rescue and relief operation. The Board has
indicated that the Government would welcome international assistance.
In the mean time, foreign assistance
and contributions from Singapore, Japan, the Netherlands, the United States,
Switzerland, Australia, and Iceland as well as from private sectors have
been dispatched. Pledges of support have also been received from Turkey,
China, Malaysia and South Africa.
The Indonesian Red Cross provincial
office in Bengkulu reports that it is providing first aid to the victims
and is making blood supplies available to hospitals. It is also assisting
local authorities in a more thorough damage and needs assessment. Local
suppliers for relief items, such as blankets, shelter materials and first
aid kits, are also being identified. At the request of the Indonesian Red
Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
(IFRC) launched on Tuesday a preliminary appeal for SFR 5,300,000 (US$
3.2 million) to assist the quake victims. The funds will be used to provide
140 thousand people with blankets, shelter, household items as well as
medical supplies.
The United Nations Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has dispatched a 5-person UN
Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team to Indonesia. Two members
assist the UN Resident Coordinator's Office in Jakarta and also liaise
with the Indonesian Government, donors, NGOs and the UN to coordinate relief
efforts. The other team members are in Bengkulu conducting initial assessment.
The OCHA has issued three situation reports which is also available on
the OCHA Internet Website at http://www.reliefweb.int
together with further information on ongoing emergencies.
Latest reports indicate that 97 people
are confirmed killed (58 in Bengkulu city, 39 in South Bengkulu) and some
1,900 persons injured (half of them seriously). These figures are expected
to rise once rescue teams are able to reach the more remote areas, including
Enggano island (population 2,000). The Bengkulu airport remains closed
to all aircraft with the exception of military aircraft and small planes.
It is expected, however, to reopen to all traffic within the next 24 hours
which will permit humanitarian relief supplies to be airlifted into the
region. Communications with Bengkulu have now been restored.
The Earthquake rocked at Sunday night
and measured 7.9 on the Richter scale. Its epicenter was beneath the Indian
Ocean, about 105 kilometers (65 miles) off the coast, 112 kilometers south-southwest
of Bengkulu city, and 536 kilometers west-northwest of Jakarta. The quake
was felt as far north as Singapore, about 640 kilometers away, and as far
west as Jakarta. Seismologists said nearly 400 aftershocks had followed
the initial quake in Bengkulu. A preliminary estimate of the total material
losses stand at US$ 6 million.
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