After a 34 Hour Journey Past Snow Storms and Damaged Roads, Indonesian Humanitarian Aid Arrives in Gaziantep, Turkey

Ambassador Lalu M. Iqbal handed over the humanitarian assistance of the Indonesian government to the Turkish Red Crescent. (Source: Indonesian Embassy in Ankara)

JAKARTA - The first phase of humanitarian aid from the Government of Indonesia for victims of the Turkish earthquake disaster arrived in Gaziantep, handed over directly by Indonesian Ambassador to Turkey Lalu M. Iqbal to representatives of the Turkish Red Crescent (Kizilay) on Wednesday.

The aid of one container traveled for 34 hours, which under normal conditions only takes 11 hours.

"The President of the Republic of Indonesia through the Minister of Foreign Affairs has requested that as a close friend country, the Government of Indonesia immediately sends the assistance needed in the earthquake area in Turkey. This is the first humanitarian aid in the form of logistics from an ASEAN country to arrive at the disaster site," said Ambassador Iqbal in written statement Wednesday, February 8 on the evening

"Turkey is one of the countries that was first present during the 2004 Aceh Tsunami disaster and the 2018 Palu disaster," he explained.

"Similarly, during the COVID-19 outbreak of the Delta variant in 2021, Turkey also provided medicines and ventilators, although Indonesia did not ask for it," added Ambassador Iqbal.

He further explained that currently, the Government of Indonesia is preparing the next stage of humanitarian assistance under the coordination of BNPB and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The humanitarian assistance includes sending the National Search and Rescue Medium Urban Search and Rescue Team, health teams from the Ministry of Health, the Indonesian National Armed Forces and Police as well as other assistance that is being identified as needed.

"The aid will depart in the next few days," explained Iqbal.

Asked about the length of travel time that must be taken, Ambassador Iqbal said it was due to the weather and the queues of vehicles.

"Snowstorms along the way, several highways were closed due to cracks and some roads were even cut off, queues of trucks transporting heavy equipment and humanitarian aid, many outflows of people in affected areas looking for safe places in other provinces," he said.