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)