RI Distributes Food Aid For Gaza Through WFP, Foreign Minister Sugiono: To Be Fast And Right On Target

The distribution of food aid to residents of the Gaza Strip through the World Food Agency (WFP) worth US$12 million (Rp200,435,948,400) is a joint decision of the Government of Indonesia and Palestine, considering the current situation and urgent needs, said Foreign Minister Sugiono.

The Indonesian government's food assistance to Palestine is an implementation of the commitment to 10,000 tons of rice assistance as conveyed by the President of the Republic of Indonesia at the UN General Assembly Session on September 23, 2025.

This decision is a rapid and effective measure to respond to the situation of food vulnerability in the Palestinian enclave. This considers the security situation in the field which is getting worse, only a few international organizations have access to distribute aid, one of which is WFP.

"The joint decision of the governments of Palestine and Indonesia to convey Indonesia's assistance through the World Food Agency is made to ensure that food aid can be distributed quickly and on target," explained Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono in a statement from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Saturday, September 27.

"This is the best option considering the difficulty of accessing aid to Gaza. Meanwhile, food needs in Gaza are urgently needed," he said.

Apart from being one of the few international organizations still operating in Gaza, the choice to cooperate with WFP is because the organization under the United Nations has long been Indonesia's partner in distributing aid to other countries.

Cash assistance from Indonesia was distributed to WFP on September 24, 2025 to support the WFP emergency response program in Gaza.

"As stated by the President of the Republic of Indonesia at the UN General Assembly, Indonesia is always ready to provide rice assistance to Palestine," explained the Indonesian Foreign Minister.

Foreign Minister Sugiono emphasized that the distribution of food aid through WFP is also to ensure that Gazans can receive healthy and quality ready-to-eat food.

It said that the current delivery of foodstuffs to Palestine is not only facing challenges in terms of delivery, but also limited adequate storage warehouses. Meanwhile, Gazans also face the challenge of limited availability of fuel and clean water.

"Indonesia's commitment to providing assistance to Palestine has never subsided. The Indonesian government's efforts to provide assistance to Palestine have been and will continue to be carried out through various available mechanisms and channels," said the Indonesian Foreign Minister.

Foreign Minister Sugiono added that this year the Indonesian government has also distributed assistance of US$2 million (Rp33,405,991,400) to Palestine through the International Red Cross.