Indonesia Donates $1 Million for Australia Flood Relief

The Jakarta Globe, Nurfika Osman & AP | January 12, 2011

         

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Indonesia is donating $1 million to help the victims of the deadly floodwaters that have swept Queensland, Australia, Foreign Ministry spokesman Michael Tene told the Jakarta Globe on Wednesday.

An aerial view of partially submerged houses in flooded
 Rockhampton in Australia's state of Queensland. Indonesia
 has donated $1 million to Australia to help the flood victims.
 (Reuters Photo) 

"[Foreign] Minister Marty Natalegawa has contacted Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd this morning and the fund will be sent immediately," Michael said.

Regarding the condition of Indonesians in Brisbane, he said he has not received detailed information yet.

"But if others take refuge, I am sure they will do the same thing," he said.

Deadly floodwaters that have cut a swath across northeastern Australia flowed onto the streets of the nation's third-largest city Wednesday, forcing people to flee suburbs and skyscrapers as rescuers elsewhere searched for 67 people still missing.

Almost 20,000 homes in Brisbane were expected to be swamped in the city of about 2 million by the time the Brisbane River reaches its expected peak Thursday, Mayor Campbell Newman said.

The figures were constantly being revised as the threat became clearer and it was getting consistently worse.

At least 22 people have died in Australia's northeastern state of Queensland since drenching rains that began in November sent swollen rivers spilling over their banks, inundating an area larger than France and Germany combined.