Govt denies favoritism in handling Jambi quake

JAKARTA (JP): Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Azwar Anas denies charges the government has been "unjust" in the provision of relief aid to earthquake victims in Kerinci, Jambi.

Azwar said the government has set priorities in providing the assistance due to limited resources. Top priority, he said, goes to the worst stricken areas.

"Please don't expect that we will give equal assistance to all stricken areas," the minister told reporters after opening a training course on crisis management.

An earthquake measuring 7 on the open-ended Richter scale, struck Kerinci regency in Jambi earlier this month and killed 80 people, when most people were asleep. The locals had no warning and barely any time to flee their homes for safety.

The worst affected region was Gunung Kerinci Regency at the foot of Mt. Kerinci, including the Air Hangat, Sitinjau Laut and Danau Kerinci areas.

The quake destroyed more than 500 buildings -- including houses, mosques and other public facilities such as roads, bridges, telephone lines and electricity installations.

Many of the quake victims have charged that Jakarta has distributed food, medical aid, clothing and building materials unequally.

Azwar explained that the governor of Jambi is responsible for the distribution of the relief aid that has been sent. He acknowledged that it is difficult for Jakarta to monitor how the assistance is distributed among the recipients.

Thirty participants from state institutions and non- governmental organizations are taking part in the four-day training course aimed at improving skills in handling natural disasters.

This course is the first of its kind in Indonesia and has been organized to improve the nation's capability to provide assistance in the event of disasters. It also covers how disasters can be prevented or their effects mitigated.

The course is conducted by the National Coordinating Board on Disaster Management with participation from the United Nations Development Program. The resident coordinator of the program in Indonesia, who is also chairman of the United Nations Disaster Management team, is participating in the event. (31)