A$88m allotted to tsunami victims

JAKARTA: The Australian and Indonesian governments announced on Tuesday the allocation of A$88 million funds for new reconstruction projects in the tsunami-stricken province of Aceh.

The aid would help rebuild and repair more schools, health facilities and community infrastructure in the areas affected by the Dec. 26 tsunami.

The $88 million was part of an A$1 billion fund committed to Indonesia under the Australia-Indonesia Partnership for Reconstruction and Development (AIPRD) program. Since the partnership scheme was announced eight months ago, the Australian government has disbursed $280 million, on top of the $88 million fund slated to be disbursed in the near future.

The AIPRD initiative was launched in order to help Indonesia cope with the natural disaster and to help spur development in the country. According to data from the Australian government, the tsunami disaster in December last year left 150,000 children without schools and left more than 500,000 people homeless. -- JP