PMI highlights its 53rd anniversary with donation

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) marked the celebration of its 53rd anniversary on Thursday with the handover of essential foodstuffs to the needy, H. Jusuf Talib, the head of PMI's central committee, said.

Speaking at a flag-hoisting ceremony at PMI's headquarters here, Jusuf said the provision of food packages took place at 308 PMI branch offices across the country.

"The provision of the food packages is intended to show our participation in the effort to help solve social problems caused mainly by the prolonged economic crisis," he said.

At the central level, PMI, in cooperation with the Singaporean Red Cross, provided food packages to 10,002 families in Jakarta, Bogor and Sukabumi, Tasikmalaya and Bandung, all in West Java, Jusuf was quoted by Antara as saying.

Each food package consisted of 15 kilograms of rice, three kgs of cooking oil, two kgs of sugar and one kg of milk powder.

He said that PMI had also provided food packages for 17,905 families in Central and East Java and Yogyakarta.

During the ceremony, Jusuf received an assistance worth about Rp 2.4 billion (US$218,181) from the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC), which was handed over by its chairman Herman Henk Bergsma.

The assistance included 12 calamity prevention cars, two computers and 16 sets of calamity prevention equipment.

The International Committee of the Red Cross also gave assistance valued at Rp 1.3 billion (US$115,000) in the form of 22 facsimile machines and training courses for calamity prevention and PMI development in Irian Jaya. (hhr)