Gayo Lues Health Team Receives Internet Access Assistance from Abdya Volunteer 

Community volunteers from the South West Aceh Regency (Abdya) Care while helping to install internet access (ANTARA)

JAKRTA - Community Cross Volunteers from South West Aceh Regency (Abdya) Care distributed assistance to flood-affected communities to internet access in the form of Starlink for health volunteers from the Indonesian Ministry of Health who are serving in Gayo Lues Regency, Aceh.

"The distribution of this assistance is part of the commitment of Abdya cross-community volunteers to continue to be present in the community," said Abdya Cross-Community Coordinator, Adi Khairi, in Abdya, Friday.

The distribution of assistance was carried out in a number of areas that were quite severely affected, including Paloh Village, Blangkejeren District, as well as Pasir Village, Urem Beriring and Rerebe Village, Tripe Jaya District, Gayo Lues.

In Paloh Village, volunteers distributed assistance at the location of a former mosque which has now been flattened by the ground due to the recent flash flood, in the form of water pumps, mukena, and prayer mats.

The assistance is expected to help the community return to carrying out worship activities, especially in the coming months leading up to the holy month of Ramadan.

"Today this mosque building has indeed disappeared, but the spirit of worship and the hope of the community should not be lost. We present this assistance as a reinforcement, so that the community still has hope, especially before Ramadan," he said.

In addition to Paloh Village, volunteers also distributed humanitarian assistance to Pasir Village and Urem Beriring Village, Tripe Jaya District. The assistance provided includes basic necessities, medicines, and baby needs, which are very needed by the post-disaster community.

Then, continued Adi, in the midst of limited access and heavy terrain after the disaster, the Abdya Peduli Community Cross volunteers who are members of the Aceh Relawan Tangguh also delivered one unit of the Starlink device to Rerebe Village, Tripe Jaya District.

The device is intended for the Rebere Health Center to support the communication needs of health workers, especially colleagues from the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes RI) who are currently serving there.

"The existence of Starlink is expected to help the smooth communication of medical personnel in the field," he said.

The process of delivering aid, including Starlink devices, was not easy. Volunteers had to go through extreme terrain due to the damage to the post-disaster infrastructure.

"At some points, the group was forced to continue the journey on foot because the road access was cut off due to landslides," he said.

Adi added that all of the logistical assistance was the result of donations from the community collected through various community elements.

He emphasized that the presence of volunteers at the disaster site was not only to bring assistance, but also to ensure that the community did not feel alone in facing difficult times.

"This is a form of mutual cooperation. The assistance we are distributing today comes from the community's concern. Maybe it can't replace what has been lost, but we hope it can ease our brothers' burden a little," said Adi Khairi.