Aid to Send for Flood Victims in Manado

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The Ministry of Social Affairs will send another batch of aid to the victims of flash floods in North Sulawesi Province.

"We will dispatch aid and assistance again such as food stuff, side dishes and clothes," Margowiyono, the director for natural disaster protection of the Ministry of Social Affairs, stated here on Thursday.

The Ministry of Social Affairs' buffer stock assistance has been taken to the evacuation centers since last Wednesday night, he noted.

"Since December 2013, we have dispatched Rp603 million worth of buffer stocks and assistance such as rubber dinghies to North Sulawesi's Social Affairs Service," Margowiyono explained.

He has also received reports that the flash floods had submerged the office of the ministry's social affairs service in North Sulawesi. Luckily, the location of its warehouse was high enough where the buffer stocks were safe from water inundation.

The Social Affairs Ministry's director pointed out that his ministry has provided emergency response assistance worth Rp3.2 billion in 2013.

"We have sent assistance since flash floods and landslides affected the province from February to December 2013. We have planned to dispatch another batch of assistance," he explained.

Besides logistic assistance, the Social Affairs Derives of North Sulawesi has also deployed about 400 rescue workers to help evacuate residents.

A flash flood hit North Sulawesi at 11.55 a.m. local time on Wednesday. The floods occurred in six districts/municipal cities, namely Manado City, the districts of North Minahasa, Tomohon City, South Minahasa and the Islands of Sangihe.

A total of 13 people have been reported dead and two others still missing. About 40 thousand others were evacuated. (*/DWA)