Public eagerly give donations to tsunami victims
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Shocked and grieved by the massive devastation and loss of life wrought by the earthquake and tsunamis that hit Aceh and North Sumatra, Indonesians have turned out in droves to donate money to aid agencies.
Several relief organizations in the capital said on Tuesday a surge of individual and corporate donors had contributed cash or goods to survivors of the disaster.
"My cell phone has kept on ringing since early in the morning with calls from people asking about how they can contribute to the relief efforts," Eddy Kuncoro of a charity organization, owned by the Republika newspaper Dompet Dhuafa, told The Jakarta Post.
He said that as a result of the public's enthusiasm, the organization had collected Rp 450 million (around US$50,000) on Tuesday, Rp 200 million on Monday, a day after the tidal waves swept over the northeastern parts of Sumatra.
"We have transferred the money to our account in a North Sumatra bank, so that our volunteers there can withdraw it for the relief effort," he said.
Other media that have also opened bank accounts to raise relief funds from the public include the Kompas daily, Metro TV and Indosiar.
South Korean-based electronic company PT Samsung Electronics Indonesia channeled Rp 1 billion in donations through Metro TV, while U.S.-run mining company Newmont Mining Corporation said in a statement it would donate Rp 5 billion to the relief effort.
A Jakarta-based cargo company, meanwhile, offered to courier aid for free to the regions hardest hit by the tidal waves.
"We will pick up aid for free from donors in greater Jakarta regions and deliver them to Halim Perdanakusumah airport where they will be dispatched to Aceh," an official with PT Wahana Kargo was quoted by Antara as saying.
Wahana Kargo can be contacted on 08121131688 or 0811856900 or at its address on Jl. H. Sidik 88, Rempoa, South Jakarta.
Another humanitarian organization, the Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (Mer-C), said it had sent a aid team to Aceh on Monday and another team was set to leave for the province on Wednesday.
The Jakarta chapter of the Indonesian Red Cross said that it had collected Rp 40 million in a bank account on Tuesday afternoon after it was opened the day before. The Bank Lippo Slipi branch account number is 746-30-05218-4.
The Millennium Hotel Sirih in Jakarta has also opened a collection box until Jan. 15, while other institutions ranging from television and radio stations, magazines and cafes have opened accounts.
In Yogyakarta, the state Gadjah Mada University said that it was ready to send an 18-strong medical team to Aceh to join other humanitarian missions there.
The dean of the university's School of Medicine, Hardiyanto Subono, said doctors would soon left for the province pending a consultation with the Ministry of Health.