Some wave victims are still waiting for disaster relief<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): As massive relief aid poured to East Java for
\nthe victims of this month's devastating tidal waves, reports
\nbegan to emerge that some of the intended recipients were left
\nhungry because food is not reaching them fast enough.<\/p>\n
The reports, which have already raised concerns among
\nofficials in Jakarta, prompted Coordinating Minister of People's
\nWelfare Azwar Anas to issue a stern warning on Friday. The
\nstatement cautioned people not to tamper with or embezzle the
\nhuge aid relief that was coming in.<\/p>\n
\"Don't even think about trying to take it, not even for one
\ncent,\" Azwar said. \"The aid is God's mandate and has to be given
\nintact.\"<\/p>\n
The Antara news agency reported that several survivors of the
\ntidal waves in the Banyuwangi regency were complaining about the
\nslow distribution of food, saying that they were only getting fed
\nonce a day.<\/p>\n
The report suggested that the food supplies are piling up in
\nthe regency town of Banyuwangi but they are not being distributed
\nfast enough to the distant villages where most of the victims
\nlive.<\/p>\n
\"Sometimes, we have to beg for food from the officers,\" one
\nsurvivor told Antara.<\/p>\n
Another survivor, Abdul Manan, 32, said he found it degrading
\nto beg for food and go through the arduous bureaucratic
\nprocedures. He also resented being passed off from one official
\nto another.<\/p>\n
Tidal waves swept away many fishing villages along the
\nsoutheastern coast of East Java on June 3, leaving countless
\nincidents of destruction in its wake.<\/p>\n
The East Java provincial government said a total of 223 people
\nwere killed in the disaster, with 204 in the Banyuwangi regency
\nalone. Some 22 people are still reported as missing and about 400
\npeople were still undergoing medical treatment over the weekend.<\/p>\n
The destruction of property was just as extensive. At least
\n1,330 houses were damaged and hundreds of boats -- the
\nfishermen's main form of earning income -- either vanished or
\nwere damaged beyond repair.<\/p>\n
This is the worst natural disaster to hit Indonesia since
\ntidal waves, combined with a powerful earthquake, killed over
\n2,000 people in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, in December of 1992.<\/p>\n
The relief operation after the Flores disaster, with aid
\nsupplied by domestic and foreign sources, was also haunted by
\nrumors that money had been embezzled.<\/p>\n
Similar, disconcerting reports were also heard during the
\nrelief operation for the victims of the massive earthquake in
\nLiwa, Lampung, which killed some 200 people in February.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, aid and pledges of aid continued to pour in from
\nvarious sources during the weekend.<\/p>\n
Salim Group<\/p>\n
The Salim Group, Indonesia's largest business conglomerate
\nwhich is owned by tycoon Sudomo Salim (Liem Sioe Liong), pledged
\nRp 1 billion (US$476,000) to the government.<\/p>\n
The Japanese government announced it was extending Rp 300
\nmillion ($142,000) worth of aid under its emergency humanitarian
\nassistance program, its embassy in Jakarta said.<\/p>\n
The aid will include blankets, tents, and portable power
\ngenerators which will be delivered by the Japan International
\nCooperation Agency from its stockyard in Singapore.<\/p>\n
Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Allan Taylor presented a
\ncheck on Friday to Minister of Social Services Endang Kusuma
\nInten Soeweno, amounting to about $15,000. Australia is
\nconsidering providing additional funds of about $75,000 for
\nreconstruction, the embassy said.<\/p>\n
A number of newspaper publications in Jakarta, including
\nKompas and Suara Pembaruan, have also started cash collections
\nfor the victims of the tidal waves.<\/p>\n
The local network TVRI in Palembang, South Sumatra, began to
\nreceive contributions for the victims on Friday from viewers.<\/p>\n
An official of the International Red Cross committee meanwhile
\nis in Banyuwangi to determine what further assistance the
\norganization will provide, Antara said.<\/p>\n
Earling B. Anderson, the Red Cross representative, said he was
\nalso looking at the psychological impact of the disaster on the
\nvictims.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, there were reports that President Soeharto might be
\nvisiting the stricken areas in Banyuwangi today.<\/p>\n
The relief operation proceeded under tension as the Banyuwangi
\narea was shaken almost continuously by tremors.<\/p>\n
The local meteorology and geophysics station said by in the
\nweek following the tidal waves, it recorded 1,723 tremors. (05)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/some-wave-victims-are-still-waiting-for-disaster-relief-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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