Poso refugees to get Rp 67 billion

Poso refugees to get Rp 67 billion

PALU, Central Sulawesi: The Ministry of Social Affairs has donated Rp 67 billion to promote humanitarian activities designed to improve the lives of 55,000 refugees, the victims of the sectarian conflict in Poso.

"The funds were disbursed by the central government earlier this month," said the director of the Central Sulawesi Office of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Andi Azikin Suyuti, here on Saturday.

The money would be spent on food supplies, business investment and infrastructure construction. Suyuti said each family would receive Rp 2.5 million to help establish a new source of livelihood.

According to Andi, the targets of the humanitarian aid are refugees currently living in the regencies of Palu, Poso, Morowali and Donggala.

Data from his office showed that 22,022 refugee families, or 98,456 people, had returned to their hometowns .

More than 100,000 residents were displaced following three years of sectarian conflict in Poso. - Antara