508 Children In East Kalimantan Lose Parents Due To COVID-19

East Kalimantan Governor Isran Noor: ANTARA/Arumanto

JAKARTA - The Social Service of East Kalimantan Province said 508 children in the local area had lost their parents, both father, mother and both due to COVID-19 until August 2021.

The Governor of East Kalimantan, Isran Noor, asked and reminded the regents/mayors to actively record their citizens (orphans, orphans and orphans) in their area to submit it to the East Kalimantan Provincial Government agencies.

The 508 children are spread over 56 children in Kutai Kartanegara Regency, 88 children in Bontang, 14 children in West Kutai, 80 children in Berau, 46 children in Samarinda, and 224 children in Balikpapan.

Of that number, there are four districts that have not entered data on orphans, orphans and orphans in their area. Namely, North Penajam Paser Regency, East Kutai Regency, Paser Regency and Mahakam Ulu Regency.

"Compensation for orphans, orphans and orphans is given evenly throughout the East Kalimantan region, there is no difference," said Governor Isran Noor in Samarinda, reported by Antara, Sunday, August 29.

However, according to the number one person in East Kalimantan, the priority at this time is children whose parents died of COVID-19.

"There are also orphans, orphans or orphans whose parents died not because of the corona virus, but because during the pandemic, we also have the right to receive compensation," he explained. Poor children have been cared for by the East Kalimantan Provincial Government through orphanages from the Social Service for children, until their education is at the SMA/SMK/MA level.

"We prepare houses with complete facilities for them, not because of abandoned children, but children who are in trouble, like this pandemic," said the husband of Hj Norbaiti, the Head of the East Kalimantan PKK TP.

Governor Isran Noor also asked the Social Service to always update data from districts and cities, because the data is dynamic and always changing because the corona outbreak is still happening.