Govt says no food shortages in Jakarta

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government on Wednesday assured flood victims in Greater Jakarta that the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) was prepared to release rice and other food stocks to prevent shortages.

Social Services Minister Bachtiar Chamsyah said officials in flood-stricken areas of Jakarta and surrounding cities were able to obtain food stocks from Bulog as the need arose.

"We have a leftover stock of rice from 2006 of 300,000 tons, and I can assure you that officials in flood-affected areas can access this rice at any time without permission from me," Bachtiar said after a meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Bachtiar said the government had set aside 200 tons of rice per day for flood victims.

According to data from the Social Services Ministry, as of Wednesday more than 225,000 flood victims were seeking refuge in Greater Jakarta.

Most of these displaced people are in South Jakarta, where more than 80,000 people are sheltering in mosques, railway stations, schools and cemeteries. In East Jakarta, more than 45,000 people are living in temporary shelters.

Overcrowding and unsanitary conditions have sparked fears of outbreaks of disease.

The head of the national bird flu commission, Bayu Krisnamurti, has warned that the floods could intensify the spread of the HN51 virus to humans.

The death toll from the floods -- which at their peak forced some 340,000 people from their homes -- rose to at least 50 on Wednesday, the Health Ministry said. Most of the fatalities were due to drowning or electrocution.

Minister Bachtiar said the government would provide families of the deceased Rp 2 million (about US$220) in compensation.

"All the families need to get the compensation is a letter from their local social services agency," he said.

Meanwhile, Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said the supply of goods to Jakarta was expected to return to normal in the next few days.

"What we have to do now is convince suppliers from outside of Jakarta that all access routes to Jakarta are open and safe," Mari said.

She said the Jakarta Police have agreed to guarantee safe passage for goods entering the capital.

"We had a meeting Tuesday with associations of food and beverage producers, owners of land transportation vehicles and the Jakarta Police, in which the police agreed to provide daily updates on road conditions and access to Jakarta," Mari said.

She said the government's priority now was to ensure the supply of goods to Jakarta returned to normal as soon as possible.

Mari also said the government would continue efforts to ensure rice prices did not rise and hurt flood victims.