Mount Eruption Refugees Receives Provides Assistance Worth Rp941 Mln

Jakarta, Sept 19 (Antara) - The Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos) has distributed assistance worth Rp941 million to the evacuees of the eruption of Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra Province, a cabinet minister said. "The assistance worth Rp941,631,000 is expected to alleviate their burden in the evacuation centers," Social Affairs Minister Salim Segaf Al Jufri said here on Thursday. The Social Affairs Service of North Sumatra`s Karo District has also provided a first stage assistance in the form of 3,000 blankets while the North Sumatra Province`s Social Affairs Office has sent 600 pieces of sarongs, 600 blankets, 3,600 house dresses, 700 shirts with a total value of Rp304 million. The minister said his ministry has provided follow-up assistance in the form of 10,000 packages of side dishes. It also deployed 95 disaster rescuers to help evacuate refugees. Public kitchens were set up in six locations and tents in eight sites. The local social service office also set up a command post at the building of the Indonesian National Youth Committee (KNPI) and distributed 600 kg of salted fish and vegetables to 21 evacuation centers. In the meantime, North Sumatra State Logistics Agency (Bulog) has distributed three tons of rice to aid refugees. "Bulog has provided assistance after Sinabung erupted on Monday morning by distributing a total of 3 tons of rice," said Public Relations Officer of N Sumatra Bulog Rudi on Monday. He noted that Bulog had taken the rice from the government`s rice supply to assist the refugees. Bulog distributed the rice in cooperation with the Karo District Administration, which identified the areas in need of assistance and examined the refugee`s needs. "Bulog will continue to distribute rice for as long as the refugees need assistance with staple foods," Rudi said. Even though Sumatra`s stores of rice have dwindled from being used to assist refugees of the natural disaster in Karo, Rudi confirmed that Bulog has at least 35 thousand tons of rice still available for emergencies. "East Java and Jakarta will immediately replenish our stores by supplying 15 thousand tons of rice," he stated. Meanwhile, Karo Regent Kema Ukur Karo Surbakti pointed out that the number of refugees is continuing to mount, rising from 3,710 persons to 4,739 persons hosted at eight shelter locations in the Kabanjahe area. Mount Sinabung in Karo District, North Sumatra, erupted on September 15, 2013, at 2.51 am local time, leaving thousands of locals to be evacuated. North Sumatra Disaster Management had to relocate residents from four villages to nearby places for safety reasons after Mount Sinabung erupted in Karo District, North Sumatra. "The villages have been relocated for safety reasons," said Sinabung`s Public Relations Coordinator for Disaster Management Johnson Tarigan on Sunday. Four villages in Naman Teran District have been relocated, namely Kutagunggung, Bakerah, Simacem, and Sigarang-garang. The local government of Karo District has urged every district administrative official to increase public awareness with regard to the eruption of Mount Sinabung, which occurred on Sunday at 2:51a.m. (GMT +7).