Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani confirmed that the government had disbursed Rp560 billion on-call funds for handling the earthquake and tsunami disasters in Palu City and Donggala District, Central Sulawesi Province.

"We have agreed on disbursement of the funds last Saturday. They are disbursed today (Monday, Oct 1)," the finance minister remarked at the finance ministry building in Jakarta on Monday.

The on-call funds are standby funds prepared by the government to handle financial matters during emergency disaster conditions until their resolution.

Mulyani explained that the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) will decide on the utilization of the funds for the handling of the disasters. The Rp560 billion funds can still be increased.

The BNPB can deploy health teams and military as well as police personnel using readily available funds for disaster emergencies.

"The BNPB prepares a pool of funds. It is the agency that will determine the regions that do have high priority," the minister remarked.

In addition, Sri Mulyani emphasized that disaster management in Central Sulawesi was still focused on saving victims affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Central Sulawesi.

"We still have not entered the process of identification, let alone rehabilitation, because now, we are racing against time, as many of our brothers are still buried," she remarked.

In the meantime, the Team of Quick Action (ACT) stated here on Monday that the death toll in Friday`s Donggala-Palu earthquake and tsunami had risen to 1,203.

"The number of dead has reached 1,203 at several spots. The largest was in Petobo, which was swept and leveled to the ground by the tsunami," Vice President of ACT Insan Nurrohman stated.

A total of 700 bodies were recorded in Kelurahan Petobo, 10 at Wirabuana Hospital, 201 at Undata Hospital, 50 in Mesjid Raya Mosque, 161 at Bhayangkara Hospital, 35 at the Tawaeli sub-district, two in the village of Kayumalue Pajeko, five in the village of Kawatuna, seven in Pos Pol PP, and 32 at the Madani hospital.

Insan said the death toll is feared to rise, as there were still many missing, including 61 foreign nationals, and 540 seriously injured being treated at several hospitals.

He said 16,732 people were accommodated at evacuation camps in 123 locations in the city of Palu and the districts of Donggala, Sigi, and Parigi Moutong.

"Communication and electricity services were cut off following reports received of the impact of the earthquake and tsunami in Palu and Donggala, " Insan noted. (ANTARA)

The government will deliver food and water aid in large quantities to Palu to assist earthquake and tsunami victims in Central Sulawesi, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) stated.

"We will dispatch as much food assistance as possible aboard the Hercules aircraft today," the president stated after attending a ceremony held to observe Pancasila Sanctity Day in Jakarta on Monday.

He remarked that the assistance will be delivered directly aboard several aircraft. There are also deliveries from Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, and Makassar, South Sulawesi.

The president noted that the food is delivered in large quantities following complaints and problems faced, such as food shortages.

Jokowi stated that fuel oil (BBM) was also expected to start entering Palu using special fuel aircraft.

The head of state explained that basic matters, such as victim evacuation, delivery of aid needed by the victims, and electricity supply, must be handled quickly.

"I think these problems must be handled soon before we tackle the second phase of disaster response," he remarked.

He said the provision of food is a problem, as the shops were closed. Water supply is also an issue due to electricity outage.

"There is no electricity supply since of the seven existing power substations, only two could operate, while five are having problems. This must be restored, but it could not done in a short time," he noted.

Jokowi has ordered the provision of a mobile electrical substation to ensure the availability of electricity and restoration of clean water supply.

Speaking in connection with cases of food being pilfered from stores by residents, the president said he had not seen such an incident on the field, as shops were closed.

"May be there are one or two incidents (of looting). It is necessary to help victims in need," he noted.

The president called for mutual assistance in a disaster emergency scenario.

"Do not force things that are not really a basic problem," President Jokowi pointed out.

Meanwhile, the Media and Press Information Bureau of the Presidential Secretariat informed that on Monday, the president`s assistance will be sent to Palu via the Jakarta Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base. Assistance will depart at around 10:30 Western Indonesia Standard Time. (ANTARA)

Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Christine Lagarde expressed condolence over Friday’s earthquake and tsunami in Central Sulawesi, which has the loss of many lives.

The hardest hit by the quake with a magnitude of 7.4 on the Richer Scale, followed by tsunami was the coastal cities of Palu and Donggala with death toll, according to a non governmental organization ACT already reached more than 1,000 people.

Lagarde wrote her message in Bahasa Indonesia, saying," I share the profound sorrow with the people of Central Sulawesi over the loss of lives in the quake and tsunami tragedy.

Sympathies have also expressed by a number of other world leaders including Pope Franciscus, Chinese President and Prime Minister, South Korean President and the European Union.

The EU offered an assistance of Rp25 billion. (ANTARA)

President Joko Widodo led a ceremony to observe Pancasila Sanctity Day 2018 in the Pancasila Sanctity Monument in East Jakarta`s Lubang Buaya area, Monday.

The President, along with First Lady Iriana Joko Widodo arrived in the venue around 7:45 a.m. local time.

He was seen wearing a set of dark blue suit and pants with red tie and a black cap, while the First Lady donned a purple kebaya.

Previously, Vice President Jusuf Kalla and his wife Mufidah Jusuf Kalla arrived in the are at 7:35 a.m.

He wore black suit and pants, as well as a black cap, while his wife wore a green kebaya.

The arrival of the President and his wife was welcomed with national anthems sang by youth and students.

The event which was held in the Pancasila Sanctity or Pancasila Sakti Monument area in Lubang Buaya in East Jakarta, was also participated in by a number of state officials, foreign representatives in Indonesia, members of the Indonesian National Police and Military forces from various units, Military Academy cadets from various dimensions, students, and scout members.

It began with the national anthem of Indonesia Raya.

Other series of activities at the ceremony included a moment of silence in memory of the heroes, especially the Heroes of the Revolution and the reading of the Pancasila script by Chairperson of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR), Zulkifli Hasan. (ANTARA)