A$88m allotted to tsunami victims

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