Hamzah meets with Nias flood victims

Hamzah meets with Nias flood victims

MEDAN, North Sumatra (JP): Vice President Hamzah Haz met with
some 200 Nias flood refugees on Tuesday and handed over a total
of more than Rp 5 billion (US$526,000) for the affected families,
whose houses and belongings were swept away in the floods.

Hamzah was previously scheduled to visit refugee camps in
Lahusa but poor weather conditions meant his flight was
considered too hazardous. The meeting with families of refugees,
therefore, took place at Binaka Airport in Gunung Sitoli
district, some 185 kilometers from the refugee camps in Lahusa
district.

The money received by North Sumatra Governor T. Rizal Nurdin
so far included Rp 3 billion from the (suspended) Ministry of
Settlement and Regional Infrastructure, Rp 100 million from
President Megawati Soekarnoputri, Rp 200 million from the
National Crisis Center, Rp 525 million from the (suspended)
Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Rp 100 million from Taufik
Kiemas (husband of President Megawati) and Rp 50 million from
factions at the House of Representatives.

In efforts to console the refugees, Hamzah said that the
disaster should be faced with patience: "Ultimately, we have to
rebuild the island from zero".

Hamzah was accompanied by caretaker Minister of Settlement and
Regional Infrastructure Erna Witoelar, caretaker Minister of
Health and Social Welfare Ahmad Sujudi.

He also warned that uncontrolled forest exploitation would
damage the environment: "Therefore, please stop excessively
exploiting the forest."

Meanwhile, North Sumatra Governor T. Rizal Nurdin said in a
report to the Vice President that the disaster had caused more
than Rp 34 billion in financial losses.

Rizal said that efforts to reconstruct destroyed
infrastructure had began: "But as the roads linking the flood-
ravaged districts have mostly been cut off, the reconstruction
project has, so far, been very slow." At least four bridges were
destroyed by the floods.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta said in a release
distributed to The Jakarta Post on Tuesday that Ambassador Robert
Gelbard authorized the United States Agency for International
Development (USAID) last Friday to set aside $25,000 in emergency
response funds to the International Federation of the Red Cross
(IFRC) for immediate relief to the Nias flood victims.

Governor Rizal also said in his report that the death toll had
reached 83.

Meanwhile, search and rescue team members said separately
that, as of Tuesday, 95 dead bodies had been unearthed. According
to the search and rescue team the number of missing people had
reached 172.

Reporters who visited the seven flood-hit regencies, Lahusa,
Lolomatua, Telukdalam, Gomo, Lolowau, Bawalato and Annanaraya,
were skeptical of the death toll claimed by local authorities.

"I spent two days in Nias, but I did not see as many dead
bodies as was claimed," said a local reporter.

Earlier, crisis center spokesman A.A. Gulo said that the
number of victims and refugees could change at anytime due to
limited communication. (42/sur)