Acehnese refugees demand aid<\/p>\n
MEDAN, North Sumatra: At least 4,000 Acehnese refugee families
\nin North Sumatra are demanding that the government disburse a
\nfund allocated for them.<\/p>\n
M. Tohir S., leader of the refugees in the provincial capital
\nof Medan, said on Monday at least 62 families were now mired in
\ndebt and are in dire need of the money promised to them.<\/p>\n
\"We are very disappointed with the provincial administration
\nand plan to stage a protest and spend the night at the residence
\nof the North Sumatra governor,\" Tohir told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the Aceh Refugee Forum Edy Gunawan Sirait said
\naround 4,000 families languishing in camps in eight regencies and
\ncities across North Sumatra had not received government aid.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Social Affairs last year pledged to provide
\nthem with Rp 105 billion (US$12.5 million). The refugees were
\nsupposed to receive Rp 8,750,000 per family.<\/p>\n
Around 7,000 families had received the money but the remaining
\nsum was reportedly held by the provincial administration.<\/p>\n
North Sumatra Governor T. Rizal Nurdin has said that the
\nremainder would be transferred through Bank BRI but admitted that
\nthe aid had not reached some of the beneficiaries. --JP<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/acehnese-refugees-demand-aid-1447893297",
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