Drought brings people flock to the city<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Buoyed by optimism of finding better lives in
\nthe city, thousands of poor people from rural areas in Java which
\nhave been severely affected by this year's prolonged drought have
\nmoved to Jakarta, a city official has said.<\/p>\n
M. Sihombing, a division head at the City Social Affairs
\nOffice, said yesterday that on average there were 50 destitute
\nmigrants coming to the city every day over the last two months.<\/p>\n
\"Their presence has been felt since June, from the beginning
\nof the drought,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The seasonal migrants, Sihombing said, came from West, Central
\nand East Java, mostly from the northern coastal areas.<\/p>\n
\"Some of them were detained while begging or rambling
\nhomelessly and sent to our rehabilitation center in Cipayung,
\nEast Jakarta,\" Sihombing said.<\/p>\n
But Sihombing said that he did not know the actual number of
\nseasonal migrants coming to the city over the last two months
\nbecause it was impossible to count them due to lack of personnel
\nand difficulty differentiating migrants from non-migrants.<\/p>\n
\"Some people came to Jakarta to simply visit their relatives,
\nnot to migrate. It's not easy to differentiate them from the ones
\nlooking for jobs,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Similar<\/p>\n
This influx of destitute migrants from other provinces to the
\ncity, according to Sihombing, is similar to that of 1991, when
\na similar prolonged drought hit provinces in Java.<\/p>\n
Unlike in 1991 when city officials \"ruthlessly\" pursued,
\ncaught and forcefully sent back drought-stricken rural migrants
\nwho came to Jakarta in search of work, this year the city
\nadministration, at least up to this week, is being very lenient
\ntowards the seasonal migrants.<\/p>\n
At the rehabilitation center, the migrants are accommodated
\nfor three to five days before being sent back to their hometowns,
\nSihombing said.<\/p>\n
Each of them are given meals, which cost Rp 1,000 per meal,
\nthree times a day.<\/p>\n
\"The meals are obviously very modest but this is the best that
\nwe can offer them,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Sihombing said his office helped the migrants pay their bus
\nfares to their hometowns. \"We have cooperated with the social
\noffices of the migrants' hometowns in order to make it easier in
\nhandling them,\" Sihombing said. (arf)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/drought-brings-people-flock-to-the-city-1447893297",
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