Banda Aceh (ANTARA News) - A Britain-based Islamic non-governmental organization, Islamic Relief, in coordination with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) will provide Rp400 million (US$43,956) to finance economic recovery programs intended to benefit tsunami victims in Aceh, an official said.
The funds would be distributed to 800 tsunami victims who have become small-scale traders in Banda Aceh as well as Aceh Besar, Pidie, Aceh Barat, and Aceh Jaya districts with the help of eight local NGOs, Representative for Islamic Relief Aceh Office Khaled Khalifa said here Tuesday.
Each of the tsunami victims would receive between Rp1 million and Rp5 million and they would return the monery within a year interest-free, he said adding that the funds should be distributed to victims who really needed help.
Accordingly, Khalifa urged local NGOs to prepare a good system to manage the funds.
"Islamic Relief directly provided tsunami victims with medicines, 10 health facilities, community health centers and three ambulances after it arrived in Aceh on January 1, 2005," he said.
Khalifa also said Islamic Relief also financed a self-empowerment program for tsunami victims.
Meanwhile, Gema Nusa (a local NGO) coordinator T Mona Risyad said his group had been entrusted to distribute Rp600 million to small-scale traders in Aceh.
Gema Nusa had made a list of 100 recipients of Islamic Relief funds, she said adding that the figure may increase in the future.
"The funds will not be given to tsunami victims who turned into farmers and fishermen because they need a long time to repay the money to Islamic Relief," she said.
Mona also said UNDP has no longer extended short-term assistance but provided the tsunami victims with assistance so that they can have a sustainable livelihood.
A killer earthquake and a subsequent tsunami that struck Aceh on Dec 26, 2004, killed more than 200,000 people and injured some hundred others. (*)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
COPYRIGHT © ANTARA 2006
