JAKARTA, Jan.3--Antara-AsiaNet/Indonesia
The Government of Indonesia has exerted all possible steps to deal with
the aftermath of the natural disaster that has devastated cities and villages
in the provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra. The Government of Indonesia highly
appreciates the humanitarian assistance pledged and dispatched by friendly
countries from all over the world as well as by international organizations,
NGOs, and even individuals.
Given the magnitude of the calamity, especially in Aceh, the Government of
Indonesia provides the widest possible access for international humanitarian
assistance. Some relief materials provided by 18 friendly countries and some
humanitarian organizations — namely through 42 sorties of cargo and other
flights — have currently been sent via Polonia Airport, Medan, or directly to
Sultan Iskandar Muda Airport, Banda Aceh (list attached).
Those relief materials consisted of priority and emergency items such as
food, medicine, blanket, body bags, generator set, clothes, tents, mattress,
masks, water treatment, sanitary equipment, building material, etc.
The international humanitarian assistance has been provided in financial
donation or, generally, in-kind. Most of the assistance has been directly
handed over by the donors to the National Agency for Natural Disaster Relief (
Bakornas PBP) or the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI). Some assistance also comes in
the form of sending search and rescue (SAR) as well as medical team.
Distribution of the assistance has been carried out by Bakornas PBP or
PMI. By way of notification to the Indonesian authority, NGOs from donating
countries could also directly distribute relief materials to the disaster areas.
To expedite the transportation of in-kind assistance and relief workers
from donating countries, the Government of Indonesia has so far issued 50
flight clearances, the procedure of which have been considerably simplified.
The crew of such cargo flight have also been granted visa-on-arrival
facility (no fee incurred).
One of the most difficult challenges at this stage is to transport and
distribute relief materials to isolated areas in which communication system and
other infrastructure are no longer operational. In this connection, the
Government of Indonesia wishes to take this opportunity to express its
appreciation and gratitude to some countries which have made available their
air transports, inter alia, Australia (3 Hercules C-130 and 1 transportable
emergency hospital), New Zealand (1 Hercules C-130), Singapore (4 helicopters),
and India (1 floating hospital). We further appreciate more offers by friendly
countries to mobilize more air transport to reach out to isolated areas.
During his telephone conversation with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan,
President Yudhoyono expressed his appreciation for the UN support to
Indonesia’s proposal for the convening of an international conference to
coordinate efforts for reconstruction and rehabilitation of the disaster areas.
In this regard, Indonesia also notes with appreciation that its proposal proves
to have enjoyed growing support of the international community.
The following is the tentative list of international humanitarian
assistance already pledged and, some of them, disbursed to disaster areas. This
tentative list will be updated in a regular basis.
For further information pls call:
DIRECTORATE OF INFORMATION & MEDIA - DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS -
INDONESIA
Jl. Pejambon No. 6
Jakarta Pusat 10110
Tel. +62-21-381-3453, +62-21-344-1508 ext. 4015
http://www.dfa-deplu.go.id email: [email protected]
Source: Department Of Foreign affairs - Indonesia
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