10,000 children undernourished

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)