PMI receives Rp1.5 B from capital market community

Antara News, Tuesday, December 29, 2009 02:38 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) has received Rp1.5 billion in aid from the Indonesian capital market community for earthquake victims in West Sumatra and Tasikmalaya.

Indonesia Stock Exchange (BEI) President Director Ito Warsito handed over the aid to new PMI Chief M Jusuf Kalla at the PMI Headquarters here on Sunday, the PMI said in a press statement on Monday.

Kalla expressed gratitude to the capital market community for trusting the PMI to channel the aid to quake victims in the two areas.

The aid would no longer be used for an emergency response phase but for a recovery one, Kalla said.

Realizing that Indonesia was highly vulnerable to natural disasters, the nation must keep watch against various natural disasters, particularly those caused by human activities, he said.

The one-time president said the PMI had committed itself to providing maximum services to victims of natural disasters by training more volunteers to achieve the goal.

"To that end, we will always cooperate with all partners to support the PMI`s activities," he said.

Ito Warsito meanwhile said his side had chosen PMI to channel the humanitarian aid because the agency had a better knowledge of the quake victims` needs, and was quick in channeling aid.

PMI data show the agency has so far channeled aid to 25,020 families and distributed more than 4 million liters of clean water among quake victims in West Sumatra.

An earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale rocked West Sumatra province on September 30 this year, killing more than 1,100 people and injuring thousands of others.