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| Indonesia Needs Assistance |
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Our heart goes out to the people of Indonesia as they struggle to cope with the devastating consequences of their latest earthquake. Following the disastrous 2004 tsunami, the people of Indonesia have again been subjected to a severe natural disaster. The earthquake has killed more than 4,600 people on Indonesia's densely populated island of Java, reducing almost all buildings to rubble. And the death toll is likely to climb much further. We extend our deepest sympathy and heartfelt condolences to the victims' families. The Chinese Government announced on Saturday it would offer Indonesia spot exchange emergency aid worth US$2 million. China's assistance will multiply when the need arises. On the same day, President Hu Jintao sent a letter to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, in which he expressed his dismay at the cruel loss of so many lives. We have shown our solidarity with the Indonesian people. Susilo ordered the army to evacuate victims and arrived with a team of Cabinet ministers to oversee rescue operations. He slept in a tent camp with survivors. The need of the moment is to gather international support to aid the suffering people of Indonesia. The world must respond promptly and vigorously. The need for assistance will grow every day. The particular point about the latest earthquake in Indonesia is that virtually all buildings and structures have been flattened. Current estimates about the extent of the disaster may prove to be wrong as new facts reveal the true scale of the tragedy. The situation will worsen in the blazing heat. And rescue efforts will be further hampered by the destruction of roads and bridges. The search for survivors requires very sophisticated tools and skills. Other recent earthquakes have shown that people can survive under the rubble for days. Hundreds, if not thousands, of lives can be saved if rescue work can be conducted in a timely fashion. We are happy to note that the international community has been responding to the devastation in Java with an overwhelming outpouring of aid. The United States responded with an emergency allocation of US$500,000 for assistance to victims. Indonesia's neighbor Malaysia said it will send a 56-member search team, doctors and medical supplies, and the European Commission said it would release up to US$3.8 million in emergency aid. The World Food Program is sending a plane containing 2 tons of medicine and eight trucks full of fortified noodles and biscuits. The fact that rescuers and aid workers, water, food, blankets, tents, medical supplies and other essentials are pouring into the broken city from around the globe is an impressive testament to the nature of the global village: Love and assistance reach the needy whenever disaster strikes. (China Daily May 29, 2006)
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