Six ASEAN Member States Receive Flood Assistance from Indonesia

Jakarta - The Indonesian Government presented on Monday (Oct 24) financial assistance to six ASEAN Member States which are being affected by flood, the ASEAN Secretariat said in a press statement here on Wednesday. Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam received a total of US$3.1 million from Indonesia, which is also the Chair of ASEAN this year. The Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare, Agung Laksono said "Disaster such as these emphasise even more the importance of the implementation of the 2005 ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER)". "With the planned signing of its agreement on 17 November later this year, the Government of Indonesia looks forward to the full operationalisation of the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre) which will enhance regional capacity to assist each other in managing the impacts of disasters," he added. When receiving the cheques, the Permanent Representative of Cambodia to ASEAN, Kan Pharidh, extended his country's deepest gratitude in time of difficulty. "This is not the first time that Indonesia has rushed to the aid of its fellow ASEAN countries, so the people of Cambodia are grateful for a friend in need. In Cambodia, public places like pagoda and schools have been flooded. Children will have no choice but to start school later this year," he added. Ambassador Kan is also the concurrent Ambassador of Cambodia to Indonesia. Minister Laksono handed over the assistance in the form of cheques to the Ambassadors and their representatives. Thailand, the worst-hit country, received US$1 million, while Viet Nam received US$500,000. The other four countries received US$400,000 each. He said that the Government decided to assist financially because money is fastest to disburse, and the affected governments will know how best to spend the money