Yogyakarta quake reconstruction praised
Despite complaints about the government’s handling of the May 27 earthquake in Yogyakarta and parts of Central Java, Japanese Red Cross chief Tadateru Konoe praised the effort.
Konoe toured quake-hit areas Saturday in Klaten, Central Java, and Bantul, Yogyakarta.
“I think the response to the quake is sufficient,” he said. “Moreover I’m impressed by the fact that people here have held onto a tradition of helping each other. They have a strong spirit to stand up and rebuild their devastated areas.
“The effect of that spirit of mutual help in Yogyakarta and other Central Java cities is very impressive. In it there is great power,” Konoe said.
He added that in addition to keeping a positive attitude, it was time for the local people to prepare for future earthquakes or other natural disasters.
Information on the danger of earthquakes was badly needed, he said, because this area, like Japan, was vulnerable to seismic upheavals.
He said the information would help prevent panic and give people a set of steps to follow when disaster struck.
Besides information on disaster preparedness, Konoe said, people also need to be taught how to build quake-proof houses. He further recommended that the government build earthquake monitoring networks, since much of the country is prone to quakes. The networks might give people earlier warning of disasters, he said.
Meanwhile, the Japanese Red Cross has given assistance worth US$20 million and deployed a medical team to help quake victims in Yogyakarta and Central Java. The funding has been used to buy medicines and food and to build temporary houses.
“By February next year the construction of at least 10,000 makeshift houses will be completed,” Konoe said. He added that his organization would also provide school supplies for students and help build sanitation facilities at schools for students with disabilities.