Rp 10.4m aid for disaster-hit areas

SEMARANG: Five regencies in Central Java are slated to receive Rp 10.4 million in aid to help repair homes damaged in recent floods, strong winds and landslides.

Antara quoted on Friday the secretary of the natural disaster office of Central Java, Soetono, as saying here that the regions were Semarang, Magelang, Pati, Wonogiri and Batang.

Semarang would get Rp 2.8 million for home repairs and compensation for the families of those who died and those who were injured; Magelang would get Rp 2.4 million for rebuilding of collapsed homes; Pati, Rp 2.6 million for severely damaged homes; Wonogiri, Rp 1 million and Batang Rp 1.6 million, also for rebuilding collapsed homes.

"The aid is not compensation, but merely to lighten the burden of affected residents," Soetono stressed.

The agency did not give details of losses in the regencies.

He said the provincial administration had set the amount of aid at Rp 400,000 for each collapsed home, Rp 200,000 for each severely damaged home, Rp 250,000 for each death and Rp 100,000 for the injured.

The administration also gave emergency aid for public kitchens amounting to Rp 17.5 million for 35 regencies.