Indonesian govt builds tents for use as emergency schools: Disaster Mitigation Agency

A number of earthquake victims on Wednesday (December 7, 2016) displaced in Masjid At-Taqwa, Pidie Jaya, Aceh, Thursday (December 8, 2016)

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The government has constructed tents that will function as emergency schools for children affected by the earthquake in Pidie Jaya district, Aceh, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said.

"We have prepared tents for children to study in some areas," Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman of BNPB, said here on Friday.

Earlier on the day, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) asked children who survived the earthquake to continue their learning activities without fear.

The BNPB is coordinating with the Ministry of Education and Culture to rebuild damaged schools.

At least 19 elementary schools, 11 junior high schools, and one senior high school in the region were damaged by the quake, the ministrys Director General of Elementary and High Schools Hamid Muhammad said.

"We have worked in cooperation with the local administration to build emergency schools," he added.