PMI highlights its 53rd anniversary with donation

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)