Govt Pledges to Help Rehabilitate House Damaged in Recent Disasters

Jakarta (Antara) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the government will help rehabilitate houses, school buildings and health facilities damaged by the recent spate of natural disasters in the country. "The government will repair houses, school buildings and health services and restore people's livelihood, which was affected by the disasters," the President stated on his Twitter account @SBYudhoyono on Tuesday. A number of natural disasters have affected the country in recent weeks. Last Thursday, Mount Kelud, located on the border of the three districts of Kediri, Blitar, and Malang, erupted at around 10:50 p.m., spewing ash and gravel. The volcanic ash dispersed as far away as West Java and the West Nusa Tenggara provinces located hundreds of kilometers away. The volcano spewed volcanic materials as high as 17 kilometers, estimated to reach 200 million cubic meters, which were then dispersed by the winds. The eruption forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes. On Monday, President Yudhoyono inspected Mt. Kelud's eruption evacuation center at An-Nuur Mosque in Kediri. The evacuation center at the mosque accommodates some 3 thousand people coming from villages within a radius of 7 to 10 kilometers from the mountain. While in East Java, the President also inspected an evacuee command post in the Nglegok village, Blitar district, on Monday evening. The president expressed hope that the volcanic activity on Mount Kelud will soon return to normal levels and the evacuees will be able to live together with their families in their homes. However, the evacuees need to be patient until the situation is resolved, he added. (*)