EU aid for Irian Jaya, Lampung

JAKARTA (JP): The European Union, through its European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO), has approved the distribution of ECU 1,355,000 (approximately US$1.5 million) to help alleviate the impacts of recent drought, frosts and forest fires in Irian Jaya and Lampung.

The ECHO funds will be used to support three relief operations in the provinces of Irian Jaya and Lampung to be undertaken by the Belgium-based Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) and the International Committee of the Red Cross, jointly with the Indonesian Red Cross.

The first MSF project will involve assistance in the construction of 50 community-based water pumps as well as medical assessment and eventual relief operations in the districts of Seputih Raman and Raman Utara in Lampung, costing ECU 400,000.

The second MSF project will include a donation of medicines and medical equipment to the Ministry of Health and decentralized training and supervision for the affected areas of Irian Jaya, and has a total budget of ECU 450,000.

A third project to be supported with an ECHO contribution amounting to ECU 500,000, according to a statement by the European Commission representative here, will support two Red Cross offices' operations in food distribution, replanting, sanitation and medical assistance in the remotest areas of Jayawijaya and Merauke regencies in Irian Jaya.

The three new projects bring the total of ECHO funding for projects in Indonesia during 1997/1998 to ECU 1,555,000.

On Nov. 7, 1997, ECHO approved a contribution of ECU 200,000 for an MSF project to improve the distribution and quality control of potable water, and medical assistance to the district of Gunung Kidul in Yogyakarta. (swe)