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Man removes chair from his
quake-destroyed home in Imogiri, south of Yogyakarta. (Reuters)
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JAKARTA - Decrying trickling government and foreign
aid, many Indonesians turned to begging just to make ends meet after
not only their homes but virtually their livelihood were battered by
the devastating quake that rocked Java province early this week.
"If we don't, how do we get money?" asked
Budi Santoso, whose box was still empty as he waited for donations
with a handful of other young men Tuesday, May 30, on a rural road in
badly-damaged Bantul district, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Sandwiched between four lanes of noisy traffic,
18-year-old Budi holds a cardboard box with the message: "Where
is your concern?"
Many locals, always holding cardboard collection
boxes and invariably polite, say they have no choice.
"Yesterday we got 40,000 rupiah (4.35 US
dollars)," which villagers spent on cooking oil and food, said
Wawan, 28.
Wawan, who like many Indonesians uses only one
name, said his village had received some government aid -- three
packets of instant noodles per family.
"It's not enough," he said.
Some of the beggars blow whistles or try to wave
motorists down. Their boxes often carry a simple message: "Asking
for aid."
Joko, 23, and two other young villagers stood in
the middle of the busy road again early Tuesday. Within two hours they
had already collected about 27,000 rupiah.
"It's still not enough," Joko said.
The quake's official death toll had reached 5,428
as of Tuesday morning, according to the government's Social Affairs
Department.
It had left more than 130,000 people homeless by
one estimate, many without shelter and short of food.
The tremor early on Saturday was centered just off
the Indian Ocean coast near Yogyakarta, the former Javanese royal
capital.
Yogyakarta's airport was re-opened to commercial
traffic despite a heavily damaged terminal. The passenger terminal was
blocked off with big sheets of tin and the roof had caved in.
Health Minister Siti Fadillah Supari said doctors
and medicines were being sent to affected areas to prevent outbreaks
of diseases such as measles and malaria.
Long Way Off
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Aid is still a long way off for
many people. (Reuters)
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International relief efforts picked up on Tuesday
for the quake survivors, but help was still a long way off for many
people.
"I'm very sad ...we haven't received any
assistance. We have to make our own tents and I also learned that if
you want to get a tent you have to fill out a form," Siwo Sudarmo
told Reuters, speaking inside a makeshift tent by a main road on the
outskirts of Yogyakarta.
"Every day trucks with signs 'aid for quake'
pass by but we can't stop them," he lamented.
Sudarmo said he was relying on donations from
passers-by to get clean water and instant noodles.
Government and aid groups say clean water and
shelter are the immediate needs, as well as medical care.
UN officials say more than 22 countries have
responded to Indonesia's call for help with aid or aid pledges.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who
moved his office temporarily to Yogyakarta, has vowed that all relief
funds would be spent on the quake victims.
"I have asked (officials), and this has been
implemented, that we must maintain transparency and accountability.
Don't misappropriate one dollar ..." he told reporters.
The government has set aside relief funds of 100
billion rupiah ($10.86 million) from now till August. A year of
reconstruction and rehabilitation will begin after August, costing the
government 1.1 trillion rupiah, said the president.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla has said survivors would
be given 200,000 rupiah ($21) each for clothes and household items,
while families would get 12 kg (26.4 lb) of rice. People will also be
compensated for damaged homes.
Saturday's quake was the latest misfortune to hit
the world's fourth-most populated country after bombings, bird flu
outbreaks and the massive 2004 quake and tsunami.
The tremor initially heightened activity at nearby
Mount Merapi -- a volcano rumbling for weeks and sporadically emitting
hot lava and highly toxic hot gas -- sparking fear of an imminent
massive eruption.
Indonesia sits on the Asia-Pacific's so-called
"Ring of Fire", which is marked by heavy volcanic and
tectonic activity.
