Flood victims demand promised aid

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Dozens of flood victims staged a rally in front of City Hall, Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday, demanding the city administration disburse aid that was earlier promised to them.

The victims of Jatinegara and Cipinang districts in East Jakarta, severely hit by massive floods in February this year, revealed that they had been promised the aid by non-governmental organization (NGO) ICE on Indonesia.

"We had counted on the organization. But when we asked about the funds recently, they said that they had been returned to the city administration," victims' spokeswoman Deasy A.R. told reporters.

Without mentioning the sum involved, Deasy said the organization had identified about 2,000 victims who were due to receive the aid.

After the massive floods in February, the administration held a charity night for flood victims in March and managed to collect about Rp 4.5 billion from officials and businesses.

City Governor Sutiyoso decided to give the funds to ICE on Indonesia, led by television presenter Irma Hutabarat, to be distributed as scholarships for flood victims.

However the funds have still not yet been distributed and have become controversial, as another non-governmental organization, GOWA, reported that the funds had been misused.

The police have questioned Irma and her organization's treasurer, while Sutiyoso has reportedly asked Irma to return the funds.

City social disturbance office data processing head Raya Siahaan, who met the protesters on Tuesday, claimed that the funds had not yet been returned.

"They were scheduled to be returned, but still lie with the NGO," Raya said.

Separately, Irma claimed she did not know the protesters and had not contacted them.