MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Downer
I am pleased to announce a grant of $300 000 to World Vision Australia to
provide emergency food relief to villagers in remote parts of Irian Jaya.
These funds will enable World Vision to provide food supplies to thousands of
people in the most severely affected areas of the Jayawijaya district which
borders Papua New Guinea. The relief exercise will start immediately and run
over the next two months with foodstuffs being flown into remote villages via
the town of Wanema.
Over 400 deaths have been reported in the Jayawijaya district since the onset
of food and water shortages caused by the extended drought and frost damage to
local crops. It is estimated that two-thirds of children in the targeted
villages are severely malnourished. Alongside these children, women, sick and
old people will be given priority assistance.
World Vision has been active in this part of Irian Jaya for over twenty years
and is well-placed to implement the emergency relief operation.
The grant to World Vision takes up a recommendation of the Australian Health
Assistance Team dispatched to Indonesia by AusAID early this month. They were
charged with investigating appropriate assistance to Indonesia in the face of
the extended drought and consequent fire problems experienced across much of the
archipelago.
The grant forms part of the $2million that the Australian Government has made
available, through AusAID, for the forest fire and drought emergency in
Indonesia.
Media contact: Innes Willox (Minister's office) 02 6277 7500
/ 0411 414 695 Geoff Adlide (AusAID) 02 6206 4967 / 0417 683
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