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US$41,000
for Tsunami Relief
The Bali Hotels Association in April
disbursed the final portion of US$41,000
in cash donations to earthquake and tsunami
relief efforts in Aceh and Nias, Sumatra,
Indonesia.
The final US$28,000 in funds was divided
equally between three foundations continuing
to provide relief efforts directly on the
ground in affected areas. These foundations
are: Yayasan IDEP of Ubud, Bali Crisis Center
for Natural Disaster in Denpasar, and Jakarta
International School Cares. “We sought
to contribute our funds to reliable and
transparent foundations that have direction
and involvement from our local community.
This approach aims to ensure our funds reach
priority projects to sustain victims and
their community redevelopment,” said
BHA Chairman Robert Kelsall.
On December 27, 2004, BHA began raising
funds and taking food, clothing, linen and
medical donations from among its 63 member
hotels and the public. These collections
were to benefit victims of the December
26th earthquake and tsunami that devastated
Aceh province in Indonesia’s Sumatra
island. On December 31, 2004, $13,000 of
non-perishable food supplies was purchased
and sent directly by ship from Jakarta to
the western coastal towns of Aceh.
Seven container truckloads of donated goods
were shipped courtesy Santa Fe Relocation
and Crown Relocation from Bali to Jakarta
where they were uploaded onto ships carrying
relief items to Aceh over the course of
January and February. The last load of goods,
scheduled for shipment in late March was
diverted to Nias island, which was hit by
8.2 and 6.2 quakes on March 28 and April
3 respectively. Unfortunately, the loaded
ship sunk off Nias and the goods were lost—however
the crew were safe.
Thousands
Kilometers from Bali
Geographic misconception continues to deter
travelers from visiting Indonesia. Regardless
of the fact that for years, foreign visitors
have been prohibited from visiting Aceh,
one of 33 provinces in Indonesia and the
only area—along with nearby islands—affected
by several recent earthquakes and the massive
December 26th tsunami. It is this misinformation
that Bali Hotels Association campaigns to
correct. Bali, Indonesia’s top tourism
gateway remains 100 percent unaffected by
these recent disasters.
Bali lies some 2,700 km east of Aceh. That
is about the same distance between London
and Moscow, Boston and Denver, Los Angeles
and Mexico City or Darwin and Perth. Aceh
has been closed to foreign visitors for
decades and is not a tourism destination.
(BTN/*)
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