Ministers to visit Manokwari

JAYAPURA, Papua: Nine ministers were scheduled to visit Manokwari on Nov. 23, 2002 to see the injured victims of an earthquake that killed eight people in the districts of Ransiki and Oransbari in the regency in October.

The nine were Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Yusuf Kalla, Minister for Resettlement and Regional Infrastructure Soenarno, Minister of Religious Affairs Said Agil Munawar, Minister of Social Affairs Bachtiar Chamsyah, Minister of National Education Abdul Malik Fajar, Minister of Health Achmad Suyudi, Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea and State Minister for the Acceleration of Development of Eastern Indonesia Manuel Kaisiepo.

Spokesman for Manokawari administration Ferdinant Teniwut said in Jayapura recently that the ministers were scheduled to visit the villages jolted by the strong earthquake and hand over financial aid to help rehabilitate damaged homes.

"The strong earthquake killed eight people, injured 639 others and damaged a total of 536 houses in 17 regencies," he said.

Ferdinant said he was disappointed with the government's lack of attention to the disaster, saying: "All the deceased have been buried already and the wounded victims have already recovered while other people have moved to safe areas." --JP