Telephone Minister Of Transportation Budi, Risma Requests Sea Toll Facility To Send Larantuka Earthquake Assistance

Minister of Social Affairs Tri Rismaharini instructs the delivery of aid from the warehouse of the Ministry of Social Affairs for victims of the 7.4 magnitude earthquake East Nusa Tenggara in Bekasi/ Antara

JAKARTA - Social Minister, Tri Rismaharini, has instructed the delivery of aid for victims of the 7.4 Magnitude earthquake that rocked northwest of Larantuka, East Nusa Tenggara.

"Currently, the most awaited need is food. So how can the food be received by residents quickly, that's why I called the Minister of Transportation to explore the possibility of sending goods via sea tolls", Risma said in a statement received in Jakarta, Tuesday, 14 December.

Risma checked the Ministry of Social aid warehouse in Bekasi after hearing about the earthquake. She immediately gave orders to field officers to unload the pile of aid and move the goods to the back of the truck.

Risma ensured that the assistance from the Ministry of Social Affairs would be sent to East Nusa Tenggara (Flores Regency and Sikka Regency), South Sulawesi, and Southeast Sulawesi (Kendari).

To ensure that the goods are delivered quickly, Risma also contacted several heads of the Ministry of Social Affairs who are most likely to reach the disaster site. Among those contacted were Head of Kupang Effata Hall, Wahyu Dewanto, Head of Minaula Workshop Kendari, Syamsuddin, Head of Makassar Toddopuli Center, Christina Junus, and Head of Paramitha Mataram Center, Ketut Supena.

To the heads of the halls, Risma asked them to prepare disaster management measures, including by setting up a warehouse to accommodate the incoming aid.

They were also asked to distribute aid upon arrival at the disaster site. "When the aid arrives, please distribute it immediately. If they are at the evacuation site, it will be distributed immediately. Don't let them go down because it is very dangerous", he said as quoted by Antara.

Risma stated that the assistance was in the form of ready-to-eat food, children's food, family tents, large tents, children's equipment, blankets, and kitchen utensils.

The amount for children's food, ready-to-eat food, and children's equipment is sent as many as 10,000 packs each. As for the tents, 1,000 units and 2,000 blankets were sent.

Assistance from the Ministry of Social Affairs was also sent from the Social Barn Warehouse or Makassar Regional Bufferstock to Kendari in the form of 900 packages of children's food, 1,000 sheets of mattresses, 600 blankets, 600 packages of family kits, and 800 packages of red roll tents.

From the Makassar Regional Bufferstock Warehouse, it was also sent to South Sulawesi in the form of 900 packages of children's food, 500 sheets of mattresses, 500 sheets of blankets, 500 packages of family kits, and 500 packages of red roll tents.

From the Warehouse of the Social Rehabilitation Center in Magelang, aid was sent to Sikka Regency, in the form of 180 packages of children's food, 30 packages of family kit, 30 packages of kidswear, 50 mattresses, 50 mattresses, 30 packages of footwear, and 30 packages of family kitchen utensils.

From the Solo Social Rehabilitation Center Warehouse, it was sent to East Flores Regency in the form of 180 packages of children's food, 50 packages of family kit, 30 packages of kids ware, 25 mattresses, 50 mattresses, and 50 packages of family kitchen utensils.

Risma stated that the aid will be dropped at the points closest to the disaster location. The goal is to be able to directly help people who are in need.

The aid currently being delivered, especially ready-to-eat food, is intended to meet their immediate needs. "The food aid will be provided at the beginning. After that, a public kitchen will be built. So, the community's needs can later be met through public kitchens", he said.

Previously, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) issued a tsunami early warning in Maluku, NTB, NTT, South Sulawesi, and Southeast Sulawesi, following an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4.