Red Cross appeals for urban poor

Red Cross appeals for urban poor

JAKARTA: The International Federation of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent Societies called Tuesday for international societies to assist the urban poor in Indonesia, Antara reported.

According to the press release received on Wednesday, the Red Cross Crisis Center plans to bring food and medical relief to the poorest of the urban poor in Indonesia, and called on international organizations to give assistance for the project.

The federation appealed for US$1.8 million in cash and 19,200 tons of rice to support a total of 580,000 beneficiaries in urban areas of Java and Sumatra for one year.

"This will enable the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) to reach people who were poor before the crisis hit, and are quite desperate now," said Herman Bergsma, the federation's representative in Jakarta.

The federation and PMI aim to provide rice for 120,000 female- headed households, 65,000 single elderly people, and 15,000 orphans and disabled people in institutions.

The free medical assistance will be provided to some 400,000 people who have no access to health facilities.

The operation also aims to assist poor hospital patients in need of blood by supporting PMI's blood donor program, which is facing difficulties due to the high cost of imported screening agents.

The operation will be carried out by 12 provincial Red Cross chapters and 52 district branches.

PMI said its ambulance and first aid units will upgrade their capacity to respond to any further unrest in the country.