RI Considering Deployment Of Aid To Sudan

Jakarta, Oct 22 (Antara) - The Indonesian government is considering sending aid to Sudan following the flooding of the country`s northern area last August, Deputy for Coordinating Minister for People`s Welfare Willem Rampangilei said here on Tuesday. "Minister Agung Laksono will discuss the kind of aid we should deploy to Sudan with Chief of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency Syamsul Maarif," he stated. Earlier in the day, Indonesian Ambassador to Sudan Dr. Sudjatmiko suggested that Indonesia should build a school in the flood-hit area in Sudan. "Minister Agung Laksono welcomes the idea of building a school in Sudan; however, he must first report it to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Indonesia is willing to help any country affected by natural disasters," Willem added. In August, incessant rain caused floods in Khartoum in the north of Sudan. The flood claimed the lives of tens of people and destroyed thousands of houses. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said weeks of heavy rains across Sudan have triggered flash floods, affecting as many as 530 thousand people since the beginning of August. According to the Sudanese government, some 74 thousand houses have been damaged or destroyed by the rapidly rising waters. The area surrounding the capital Khartoum has been hardest hit, with around 180 thousand people affected. Government and aid officials have already raised concerns that stagnating water in and around the city could lead to outbreaks of disease---a situation that the health ministry and WHO are closely monitoring. The government of Sudan is leading and coordinating the overall response. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Sudanese Red Crescent Society have appealed for approximately US$990 thousand to assist 35 thousand people. The United Nations and other humanitarian agencies are providing emergency water and sanitation, health, food, and other support. Over 52 thousand people have received household items, for example, and water trucks run by the Khartoum State Water Corporation along with representatives of the NGO M�decins Sans Fronti�res are reaching about 110 thousand people each day.