National

Government Asks Volunteers to Coordinate with Command Posts
Wednesday, 30 March, 2005 | 21:04 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The government has requested that all parties involved in providing assistance following the Nias earthquake to coordinate with command posts set up by the government.
“This is so that there will be no overlapping of aid and also that the quality of aid is equal in the earthquake areas. The aid should be in line needs,” Soetedjo Yuwono, Secretary to the Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare, told Tempo in his office on Wednesday (30/3).
Soetedjo said he hoped that the command posts would become a one door-service.
For this, he also asked those manning the posts be proactive in communicating with volunteers.
“The command posts must also have reliable information and field maps,” said Soetedjo.
Up to 8pm on Tuesday (29/3), the Minister office for People’s Welfare recorded that several command posts had already begun operating, including those in Sibolga (North Sumatra) and on Nias.
The command post in Jakarta are based at Bakornas (the National Disaster Management Coordination Board).
Up to today, the government has recorded that several foreign and domestic volunteers have already begun to provide assistance.
From overseas, aid is coming from countries like Hungary, Singapore, Malaysia, France, and Australia, as well as from foundations under the United Nations like WFP, WHO, UNICEF.
Domestic, aid is coming from PMI (the Indonesian Red Cross), the Red Crescent Moon, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), and several other NGOs.

The aid is being prioritized to provide food, medicines, clean water, and heavy machinery.
The Ministry of Social Services for example, is providing rice from reserves in North Sumatra and on Nias.
The Ministry of Health Department and the PMI are providing medicines and clean water.
On Wednesday (30/3), the Ministry of Public Works provided clean water equipment as well as 20 water tanks.
The Ministry of Public Works also transferred a further three excavators from North Sumatra to Nias.
According to Soetedjo, the Indonesian Military (TNI) has already provided a field hospital in Nias and medical assistance is also being provided by Mer-C and the WHO.
“The plan is that on Thursday (31/3) the government will send 160 tons of food and clean water from Tanjung Priok using a ship provided by the Transportation Ministry. The ship is expected to reach its destination in two days’ time,” he said.

Ami Afriatni