U.S. donates $150,000 for flood

JAKARTA: The United States government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has provided US$150,000 in emergency flood relief assistance to Jambi province, where more than 20,000 people have been left homeless due to the recent flooding of Batanghari River.

The aid will be used to provide flood victims with emergency relief kits, including personal hygiene items, jerry cans, cooking utensils, water pumps, water purification tablets and tarpaulins.

The contribution will be channeled to the International Federation of Red Cross/Red Crescent (IFRC) and implemented by the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI), the United States Embassy in Jakarta said in a statement on Friday.

Last year, USAID provided more than $5 million in emergency relief funds for various disasters in Indonesia. The donation was part of USAID's $130 million contribution toward Indonesia's democratic transition, economic recovery, health services and natural resource protection efforts. -- JP