The Russian Federation had provided assistance worth US$2 million for Indonesian children, which was handed over by Russian Ambassador to Indonesia Alexander Ivanov to the Indonesian government here on Thursday.
The assistance which was handed over to the Indonesian government through the United Nations` World Food Program (WFP) was wheat flour.
"The wheat flour was dispatched from Russia in two shipments, the first arrived on July 21, 2007 and the second expected to arrive early in August 2007," Interim Deputy Country Director of the WFP, Bradley Busetto said.
He said that the wheat would later be processed into biscuit for distribution to 216 thousand children in Indonesia under the WFP school food aid program.
"The school food program is aimed at increasing the attendance rate of students and improve their concentration in their classrooms," he said.
The program will be carried out in Jakarta and its surroundings, East Java, East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, Aceh province and Nias district.
The WFP also provides food assistance for tuberclosis sufferers, natural disaster victims and other serious victims.
"We thank the Russian government for its trust in us as well as for the contribution. The contribution reflects Russia`s care for Indonesia and its people," Busetto said.
In the meantime, Russian Ambassador to Indonesia Alexander Ivanov said that the assistance symbolized the close relations between the two countries.
Russia would be delighted to share its technical experience with Indonesia in handling natural disasters, the Russian ambassador said.
He said that the contribution was not the first his country had given to Indonesia. However, it was the first donation provided through the WFP.
"We believed that the WFP has a good reputation and wide experience in Indonesia. Therefore, we are confident that this assistance would reach the people who needed it," the Russian ambassador said.(*)
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