Nabire administration seeks Rp 1.5 trillion for quake victims<\/p>\n
Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura<\/p>\n
Hundreds of residents in Nabire regency, Papua province, are
\nstill living in tents in their villages two months after a
\ndisastrous earthquake devastated the remote town in February,
\nkilling at least 37 people.<\/p>\n
Students in affected areas were also forced to study under
\nmakeshift tents as their schools had been destroyed or damaged by
\nthe quake, which measured 6.9 on the Richter scale.<\/p>\n
Nabire Regent AP Youw said on Tuesday his administration
\nneeded some Rp 1.5 trillion (US$174 million) in aid to rebuild
\nthe devastated town after the Feb. 6, 2004 disaster.<\/p>\n
\"The fund will be used to renovate offices, houses, clean
\nwater installations, hospitals, schools, bridges, streets, an
\nairport, seaport and other public facilities,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Youw was speaking to journalists after a meeting with Papua
\nGovernor Jaap Salossa in the provincial capital of Jayapura to
\nreport the impact of the quake.<\/p>\n
The regent said the Nabire administration had so far received
\nonly Rp 3.5 billion in aid and the money was being used to
\nprovide clean water, tents for schools and other emergency
\nnecessities to the victims.<\/p>\n
The Rp 100 billion in aid, promised by former coordinating
\nminister for people's welfare Jusuf Kalla during his visit to
\nNabire on Feb. 7, had not yet been received by the local
\nadministration, Youw said.<\/p>\n
\"Local people have several times asked when the money would be
\nhanded over to Nabire, while Pak Jusuf Kalla has quit his
\nministerial post.<\/p>\n
\"I have also asked Pak Governor Salossa and he told me he had
\nnot yet got the money from central government,\" Youw said.<\/p>\n
He said that between Feb. 26 and April 18, the Army had helped
\nrebuild at least one elementary school, a church, a mosque, two
\nmilitary dormitories and two houses, providing the disaster
\nvictims with free medical treatment.<\/p>\n
\"Only the Army has so far given rehabilitation assistance
\nworth Rp 1 billion through its Sekata Dalam Nestapa Foundation,\"
\nthe regent said.<\/p>\n
He said the Nabire administration had allocated Rp 38 billion
\nfrom its 2004 budget for the rehabilitation projects covering 430
\nhouses, construction materials for 1,000 homes, eight schools and
\nfour community health centers (Puskesmas).<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Resettlement and Regional Infrastructure has
\nallotted about Rp 16 billion, Rp 10 billion of which would be
\nused to rebuild five mosques and seven churches. The remaining Rp
\n6 billion is earmarked be spent renovating the clean water
\nfacility.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration had also promised
\nto channel aid to rebuild at least 534 houses.<\/p>\n
Youw said the powerful earthquake killed at least 37 people,
\nseriously injured 115, with 477 others moderately hurt.<\/p>\n
The quake also destroyed or damaged 7,000 houses, 60 school
\nbuildings, 53 places of worship, an airport, seaport, hospital,
\nsections of streets, and swept away nine bridges.<\/p>\n
The Papua Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) said the
\nepicenter was about seven kilometers east of Nabire and 80
\nkilometers deep.<\/p>\n
On Oct. 10, 2002, a tectonic earthquake rocked the Ransiki
\narea in Manokwari, Papua, claiming the lives of at least three
\npeople and damaging hundreds of houses.<\/p>\n
In 1996 a powerful quake hit Biak and Manokwari, causing a
\nmajor tsunami that ripped through hundreds of houses in coastal
\nareas. At least 96 people were reported dead.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, the world's largest archipelagic nation, is
\nvulnerable to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions because of its
\nlocation on the Pacific \"ring of fire\" -- volcanic arcs and
\noceanic trenches partly encircling the Pacific Basin.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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