Aid pours in for Indonesia’s twin disasters

As the death toll continued to rise from Indonesia’s double disasters — the tsunami in Mentawai Islands and the volcanic eruption of Mount Merapi — foreign countries were offering assistance in the form of supplies and donations.

The European Commission said Thursday in a press statement that it allocated ¤1.5 million (US$2.08 million) in humanitarian assistance to “survivors” of the tsunami in Mentawai, West Sumatra, and the volcanic eruption of Mt. Merapi in Java.

“We extend our condolences to those who have lost loved ones in these two natural disasters,” the head of the EU delegation to Indonesia, Julian Wilson, said in the statement.

Australia has also pledged “to provide up to A$1 million [US$973,900] in an aid package,” the Australian Embassy in Jakarta said in a press statement issued Thursday.

It said Australia’s initial support package would consist of funding to SurfAid for assessment, relief and recovery activities in the Mentawai Islands, and to Indonesian Muslim organizations Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah to help local communities recover and to the Indonesian Red Cross for humanitarian assistance in the Mentawai Islands and the mount Merapi area.

Malaysia’s Defense Minister Ahmad Zahid Bin Hamidi said Wednesday in Kuala Lumpur that his government was offering the Indonesian government aid packages, including medicine and assistance for reconstruction.

“But we’ll have to wait for a permit from the Indonesian government [to let our aid packages in],” he said as quoted by Antara.

Malaysian NGOs are also preparing supplies and equipment for the victims.

On Thursday, the Chinese Embassy’s Deputy Mission Head Yang Lingzhu handed over $30,000 as a donation to Indonesian Red Cross chairman Jusuf Kalla for the affected victims, Antara reported.

The Indonesian government has received condolences and offers of help from world leaders, including the United States, South Korea, Iran, the Philippines, Vietnam, Timor Leste, Singapore, Greece, Russia and Japan, since the double disasters occurred, the news agency said.

The Philippines and Russia said they were “ready to provide assistance” if needed.

In the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI called Wednesday for the international community to quickly provide disaster relief for Indonesia. The United Nations is also reportedly set to ship its aid packages to Indonesia.