10,000 children undernourished

PURWOKERTO, Central Java: There are some 10,000 undernourished elementary school children in 73 poor villages in Banyumas regency, an official here said on Thursday.

Toto Ismanto, a staffer at the Banyumas administration office, said the undernourished children were recorded from 150 schools and they had suffered since the economic crisis worsened a few months ago.

The regency has 329 regencies.

"Now the situation is really heart-wrenching," he told The Jakarta Post.

He gave an example of how over 500 children in Jatilawang subdistrict had resorted to eating cassava mixed with rice.

Banyumas regent Aris Setiono confirmed the worsening situation.

"Actually, it's not only elementary school children who are undernourished, but also many under-fives and adults," he said.

Wachid, a regency spokesman, said the administration and several private donors had rallied to help the children.

In cooperation with the local office of the education ministry, he said the administration gave children meals three times a week.

Noer Sigit, an official at the regency's village development agency, said that since August 1997 the number of poor people in the regency had risen from 144,000 to 425,000. (45)