Massive relief operation underway in Irian Jaya
Massive relief operation underway in Irian Jaya
JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya (JP): Massive relief operations began in earnest yesterday for victims of the devastating earthquake which has left at least 97 dead and an estimated 12,000 homeless on Biak island.
Two Hercules transport planes touched down at Frans Kaisiepo airport in Biak yesterday carrying medical teams and an ambulance.
Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Azwar Anas said in Jakarta that two transport planes had departed for the island which bore the brunt of last week's earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale.
The plane carried various supplies and a medical team of 35 persons. An additional team is due to leave Jakarta today which includes a 14-man medical contingent from the army.
He said many other supplies could not be transported yesterday due to the limited capacity of the plane.
Among the supplies waiting to be flown out are tents, water purification tanks, biscuits, sugar, coffee, milk, blankets, noodles.
Two more ambulances are also waiting to be transported to the island.
Despite the large amount of aid being flown in, distribution to the outer lying areas remains a problem due to the lack of helicopters.
Despite the massive inflow of aid, many residents in remote coastal villages and smaller islands around Biak remain cut off.
These people have been severely hit due to the ensuing tidal waves which demolished their houses and fishing boats, often leaving them with nothing but the clothes on their back.
Irian Jaya deputy governor, Basyir Bachtiar, said that PT Freeport Indonesia, the giant American mining company, is sending a helicopter which is due to arrive within the next two days.
PT Freeport has sent food supplies, clothes and polyethylene sheets for shelter totaling an estimated 7.7 tons through Twin Otter and Boeing 737 planes.
Helicopter
Local officials said that through the embassy in Jakarta, the Australian Agency for International Development (AUSAID) has agreed to help charter another helicopter which should arrive by Monday.
Though still far from normal, life in the main city of Biak started to normalize yesterday, the local market bustling with shoppers buying vegetables and fruits.
About half of Biak's population of over 100,000 lives in the city.
Much of the heavy winds have subsided, though reports of minor tremors still persisted.
To further facilitate relief operations, the army is also sending a Landing Ship Tank and a helicopter.
Basyir yesterday said that apart from emergency aid, other assistance must be given to resuscitate the area.
"The Irian Jaya provincial government is capable of taking care of the emergency needs, but we can't cope with the rebuilding process on our own," he remarked.
Separately, the head of the disaster task force Lt. Col. Tonny Husodo said the Irian Jaya regional military command is assigning a detachment of army engineers to help with rebuilding.
As quoted by Antara, he said that the aid includes 24,199 kilograms of rice, 630 kgs of sugar, 1,243 boxes of noodles, 1,000 kgs of fish and 54 tents.
In Jakarta, President Soeharto called on the private sector to help, naming the Djajanti Group company which runs a timber processing factory in Irian Jaya and the Barito Pacific Timber Group operating in neighboring Maluku specifically.
Also in Jakarta, Minister of Social Services Inten Suweno denied that her office was distributing aid to the quake victims too slowly.
"We have tried to get assistance through as soon as the earthquake was reported. But you have to remember that the location of the disaster is not easy to reach, and that a wide area is affected," she said, as quoted by Antara. (mds/Binny Buchori)