May 28, 2006

Premier Gary Doer today pledged $100,000 in support to the Manitoba Council for International Co-operation (MCIC) in response to yesterday’s devastating earthquake on Java island, Indonesia.

The 6.3-magnitude earthquake is reported to have killed more than 4,000 people and left thousands of people injured, the majority of whom lived in the town of Bantul.

“Our thoughts are with those who have lost family members as a result of this devastating earthquake,” said Doer.  “Following so closely on the heels of the December 2004 tsunami, this is a terrible tragedy for the people of this region.”

Manitoba is home base for a number of organizations that do relief and development work overseas.  The province has developed a unique arrangement that funds these organizations through the MCIC.

The MCIC is an independent coalition of development organizations that oversees the distribution of development dollars.  It works with member organizations to identify on-the-ground needs and acts to ensure assistance is distributed fairly and where it can provide the most benefit.

The provincial government has supported relief efforts of the MCIC in response to several international disasters including, most recently, the devastating landslide in the Philippines, hurricane Katrina in the United States and the earthquake in Pakistan.

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