Indonesia to decide end of emergency relief at quake-hit areas next week

The Indonesian government is to decide the termination of emergency relief works at quake-affected areas at West Sumatra province which has been devastated by a 7.6 magnitude quake last month, the country's Disaster Management Agency said here Thursday.

Head of the agency Syamsul Maarif said at a press conference "The president has asked ministers and head of disaster management agency to deliver a report to him about the implementation of the emergency relief work on Oct. 19, (the president will decide) when it will end."

The government would soon continue the work in the province with the reconstruction and rehabilitation should the emergency relief work completed, said Maarif.

The president suggested that the reconstruction of houses may adopt the methode used in Aceh province, which had been organized by Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency, following the tsunami in 2004, he said.

The quake has killed 1,117 people and destructed more than 100,000 houses, scores of office buildings, mall shopping centers, roads, bridges, school buildings and other infrastructures in the province.

Governor of the province Gumawan Fauzi also said that the local administration had distributed 6,000 tons of rice, and planned to distribute 5,000 tons more to the quake survivors.

The province still has over 14,000 tons of rice, which could feed the survivors for four months.

Financial assistance has also been given to each quake victim as much as 5,000 rupiah (some 54 cents) per day for 20 days.