Govt to bear tsunami victims` living cost

Padang, The government plans to bear the living cost of tsunami victims in the Mentawai Islands until the rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts have been completed, an official said.

"The living cost of each tsunami victim has been projected to reach Rp6,000 per day. The maximum number of people in each family entitled to receive such assistance is five. The government will bear the living cost of tsunami victims for one month," Head of the West Sumatra Provincial Social Service Kafrawi said on Thursday.

The government will start bearing the living cost of tsunami victims as of early January 2011, he said adding the local authorities are in the middle of registering recipients of such assistance.

"We ask the Mentawai district administration to send a list of recipients to the West Sumatra governor as soon as possible so that we can quickly pass it on to the Social Service Ministry," he said on the sidelines of a meeting between West Sumatra

Governor Irwan Prayitno and Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) Chairman Jusuf Kalla here.
He said his office recently held a meeting with the Social Service to discuss the living cost and the ministry had given the green light to bear the living cost of tsunami victims.

"We hope the plan can be realized according to the schedule so it can alleviate the economic burden of the tsunami victims in the islands," he said.

The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) stated the big earthquake followed by a tsunami in Mentawai Islands had affected a large number of villages and caused 408 deaths, 303 people to go missing and 270 others to sustain severe injuries.

The number of affected people was initially estimated at 33,817. However, many islands had become inaccessible and the number of potentially affected people could be over 65,000.