Government offers Rp 3.2 billion in relief aid to Bali quake victims

Wahyoe Boediwardhana, The Jakarta Post, Karangasem, Bali

Three Cabinet ministers visited on Sunday villages affected by a strong earthquake on the island of Bali and delivered government aid for people there.

Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla handed over a Rp 3.2 billion (US$ 376,471) donation to Karangasem Regent Sumantara AP to help the local administration rehabilitate health and education facilities damaged in Friday's earthquake.

The earthquake, measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale, caused damage to the regency's main hospital and eight community health centers as well as 72 school buildings. It was estimated that the loss inflicted by the quake on those facilities amounted to nearly Rp 9 billion (US$1.05 million).

"Hospitals and schools are top priority. The most important thing is to restore those facilities' ability to serve the public," Kalla said.

The money for the donation originated from the state budget and the Bali provincial development fund.

"It (the donation) is an emergency one. Later on, the government will identify and determine other facilities that must be rehabilitated," Kalla added.

Kalla, Minister of Social Affairs Bachtiar Chamsyah and Health Minister Achmad Suyudi paid a brief visit to the Karangasem capital, Amlapura, to inspect several buildings severely damaged in the quake. They were accompanied by Bali Governor Dewa Made Beratha.

Aside from health and education facilities, the quake also damaged 58 government buildings, 58 temples, nine mosques, two churches, nine community halls and several public facilities and infrastructure. The Karangasem administration estimates total losses caused by the quake at Rp 27 billion.

Kalla also urged residents to repair the at least 4,101 damaged houses using their own funds and community cooperation.

"No house was destroyed or flattened to the ground, was it? Only the roofs were damaged. So there are many building materials that can be reused in the rehabilitation project," he said.

He also said that the Karangasem administration had provided food assistance to quake victims.

However, Baharudin, a resident of Jeruk Manis Islam village in Amlapura, said his family had not received any government assistance.

"We have not even been visited by any local government official, let alone received food assistance," he said.

His family currently live in a makeshift tent next to a barn, too fearful of possible aftershocks to sleep in their house.

"We heard about food assistance in the form of 10 tons of rice, but we haven't received any," another resident, Abdul Majid, said.