President Jokowi Releases Humanitarian Aid To Papua New Guinea And Afghanistan

President Joko Widodo when releasing humanitarian assistance for victims of natural disasters in Papua New Guinea and Afghanistan at the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base Base, Jakarta, Monday (8/7/2024). BETWEEN Dwi Gayati.

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo released humanitarian assistance for victims of landslides in Papua New Guinea, as well as assistance for earthquakes and flash floods in Afghanistan, by aircraft from Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base Base, Jakarta.

President Jokowi symbolically put a sticker that reads "Humanitarian Aid from Republic of Indonesia" (humanitarian assistance from the Republic of Indonesia) on the aid package which will later be delivered by Garuda Indonesia aircraft.

"We know that on May 24, 2024, a devastating landslide occurred in Enga Province in Papua New Guinea. In October 2023, an earthquake occurred in Afghanistan which caused many casualties and refugees," the President said as quoted by ANTARA, Monday, July 8.

The President explained that climate change and global warming have caused weather anomalies, triggering various disasters. These disasters not only occur in Indonesia, but also in various parts of the world.

The President also assessed that Papua New Guinea, which has a geographical closeness, is also the reason Indonesia sent humanitarian aid.

"These are our brothers and sisters, especially Papua New Guinea, our close neighbors, so that when a disaster occurs, we must also help - Papua New Guinea and also in Afghanistan," said the President.

The type of aid sent to Papua New Guinea is worth Rp. 18 billion in the form of medicines, supplementary foods and hygien kits. Meanwhile, aid to Afghanistan consists of 10 items worth Rp. 17.5 billion.

The President hopes that this humanitarian aid can ease the burden, as well as make victims of natural disasters in Papua New Guinea and Afghanistan rise again.

The Head of State also advised that delegates who carry out humanitarian missions can carry out their best mandate and maintain safety while on duty and return to the country.

"By saying Bismillahirrahmanirrahim, the government's humanitarian assistance from the Republic of Indonesia to Papua New Guinea and to Afghanistan, I will send it," said the President.

Previously, the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy said that the type of assistance had been coordinated with the Papua New Guinea Government so that it was right on target.

From Jakarta, humanitarian assistance from the Indonesian government will be sent to Port Moresby International Airport, to be further distributed by the Papua New Guinea Government considering the location of the disaster is quite far away.

The government has confirmed that until now the number of landslide victims in Enga Papua New Guinea Province was recorded at around 670 people, and 1,250 people were displaced, and related to the disaster management process, are currently in the rehabilitation stage.

Meanwhile, the death toll from heavy rains and floods in Afghanistan reached 400 people, according to the country's authorities.

It was reported that 18 people died as a result of flooding in Faryab Province on the Turkmenistan border with Afghanistan.