Flood victims demand promised aid<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Dozens of flood victims staged a rally in front of City Hall,
\nJl. Medan Merdeka Selatan, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday, demanding
\nthe city administration disburse aid that was earlier promised to
\nthem.<\/p>\n
The victims of Jatinegara and Cipinang districts in East
\nJakarta, severely hit by massive floods in February this year,
\nrevealed that they had been promised the aid by non-governmental
\norganization (NGO) ICE on Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"We had counted on the organization. But when we asked about
\nthe funds recently, they said that they had been returned to the
\ncity administration,\" victims' spokeswoman Deasy A.R. told
\nreporters.<\/p>\n
Without mentioning the sum involved, Deasy said the
\norganization had identified about 2,000 victims who were due to
\nreceive the aid.<\/p>\n
After the massive floods in February, the administration held
\na charity night for flood victims in March and managed to collect
\nabout Rp 4.5 billion from officials and businesses.<\/p>\n
City Governor Sutiyoso decided to give the funds to ICE on
\nIndonesia, led by television presenter Irma Hutabarat, to be
\ndistributed as scholarships for flood victims.<\/p>\n
However the funds have still not yet been distributed and have
\nbecome controversial, as another non-governmental organization,
\nGOWA, reported that the funds had been misused.<\/p>\n
The police have questioned Irma and her organization's
\ntreasurer, while Sutiyoso has reportedly asked Irma to return the
\nfunds.<\/p>\n
City social disturbance office data processing head Raya
\nSiahaan, who met the protesters on Tuesday, claimed that the
\nfunds had not yet been returned.<\/p>\n
\"They were scheduled to be returned, but still lie with the
\nNGO,\" Raya said.<\/p>\n
Separately, Irma claimed she did not know the protesters and
\nhad not contacted them.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/flood-victims-demand-promised-aid-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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