13 Feb 2004

Aid workers say situation under control in earthquake-stricken Papua

4:36 pm on 13 February 2004

Aid workers administering relief to earthquake-stricken Nabire in Indonesia's remote Papua region say the area has been well supplied and the situation is under control.

The death toll from last week's earthquakes has risen to 37, while over 200 people have been injured and over 2000 buildings damaged.

Fresh tremors are still rocking the region, and fearful residents are sleeping in tents outside their houses.

Meanwhile a team from the Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent, says they're positively embarrassed by the over-abundance supplies pouring in from humanitarian agencies and overseas countries.

The team chief, Latifur Rahman, says if there's one problem with the aid supplies, it's the lack of a needs analysis.

"I would recommend that whoever's doing what, we have to do it in a co-ordinated way and do some sort of need analysis. As well as how we can see what actually they really need, that should be addressed, not actually the same thing all the time."

Latifur Rahman of the Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in Jakarta.