S'pore donates rice and medicines to RI

JAKARTA (JP): Singapore said yesterday it would extend S$12 million (US$7 million) worth of humanitarian assistance in rice and medicine to Indonesia.

The Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the first dispatch of humanitarian assistance would comprise 10,000 metric tons of rice in addition to the supply of medicine.

"We are now consulting with the Indonesian authorities over the timing and other details for the first dispatch," the ministry said, adding that it would send the first dispatch "as soon as possible".

This would be followed by subsequent dispatches of other humanitarian assistance, it said.

The ministry said the amount would be in addition to the S$5 million in humanitarian aid that the Singapore Red Cross Society announced earlier.

Separately, Federal Express Corporation (FedEx), the world's largest express transportation company, said Sunday it would deliver 121,000 pounds (54.45 tons) of food and medical supplies to Indonesia from Singapore.

The company said it would deploy two Airbus A310 to deliver the relief items in cooperation with Singapore and Indonesian Red Cross Societies.

The items are donations from the people of Singapore, and will be transported to the different regions, including Jakarta, Bogor, Bandung, Tasikmalaya and Sukabumi, all in West Java.

The first phase of the aid mission begins Thursday and ends Sunday. The company said there would be another three phases in which more relief items would be distributed to different areas in Indonesia. (das)