Emergency response phase extended in Yogyakarta

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 06/28/2006 3:56 PM

Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

The slow disbursement of funds pledged by the central government for quake victims in Yogyakarta has led to the extension of the emergency response phase, that was originally scheduled to end on June 22, Yogyakarta Governor Sultan Hamengkubuwono X said Tuesday.

The extension of the emergency response program has also extended the recovery process, especially the reconstruction of residents' houses at a time when the residents are still wary of staying in their damaged homes for fear of aftershocks.

""The emergency response should have been completed on June 22, but the money disbursed was limited, so what can we do?"" remarked the sultan, after delivering a keynote speech at a seminar held to reflect on the quake one month on.

The sultan cited as an example that government assistance of Rp 90,000 and 10 kilograms of rice per month per person had reached only 60 percent of the total quake victims. ""Because it has not reached all the victims, the emergency response has been extended and is expected to be completed by the end of this year,"" the sultan said.

The sultan further said that the impact of the extension would be a delay in the reconstruction of residents' houses. Even the central government's pledge to provide compensation of up to Rp 30 million for each severely damaged house has not been met.

""So we are not talking about funds for the reconstruction of the damaged houses yet. We have to give emphasis on the living costs first,"" he said.

The cash assistance from the central government is centered on nine of the 17 worst-hit districts in Bantul, especially for the purchase of rice and other foodstuff, he said.

Bantul Regent Idham Samawi said that out of Rp 90 billion pledged by the central government only Rp 39 billion had been received. Therefore the emergency response phase in Bantul would be extended until the central government met all the basic needs of the victims, he said.

The sultan further said that the local government was currently striving to speed up the construction of temporary houses to enable the victims to move out of tents. ""The most important thing here is how to move the victims to safer locations,"" he said.

In a related development the establishment of an agency responsible for post-quake reconstruction in Yogyakarta which brings together non-governmental organizations, the government and universities is almost finalized.

Meanwhile, a researcher from the Institute of Public Policy and Economic Studies (Inspect), Muhammad Fikrom, said that in order to rehabilitate and rebuild the quake-hit areas, ""social capital"" needed to be developed.

""The spirit of togetherness and helping one another should be enhanced so that there is no need for them to rely on loans, especially from other countries, because money may erode social construction,"" Fikrom said.

In the meantime, residents of the worst-hit Pundong district in Bantul are restless due to the increasing number of aftershocks. ""Last Saturday alone there were at least 15 aftershocks,"" said Sirhardono village head in Pundong Sugiharto.

What makes them afraid is the thunderous, hollow sound heard before the aftershocks. ""It was reported there was an underground cavity that may collapse at any time. This has made the residents anxious,"" he added.

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