Foreign Minister Retno Calls Indonesian Citizens In Turkey And Syria Galang Assistance For Earthquake Victims

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi. (Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia)

JAKARTA - Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said Indonesian people in Turkey and Syria also raised assistance for earthquake victims, in addition to the assistance provided by the Indonesian Embassy and the Indonesian government.

In a statement on Monday, Foreign Minister Retno said, in addition to collecting assistance in the form of goods needed by disaster victims, Indonesian citizens also collected money to be donated through red bars.

"Indonesian people in Turkey raise funds for assistance and have collected money of 324,000 lira and 50,000 US dollars or around 1.2 billion rupiah, and handed over through the Turkish Red Cross," Foreign Minister Retno said in a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Monday, February 13.

"Meanwhile, for Syria, the Indonesian Embassy in Damascus has also sent aid in the form of food, clothing and medicines collected from the diaspora of Indonesian citizens, PPI and also our embassies in Syria, which were sent either to Latakia or to Aleppo," he continued.

He further explained that the Indonesian government sent a number of humanitarian aids which were divided into several stages.

The first phase, February 12, 2023, has arrived in Adana, Turkey, two aircraft, namely B 737-400 TNI AU and Hercules C-130 carrying the MUSAR (Medium Urban Search and Rescue) team, consisting of 65 personnel along with SAR equipment and logistics in the form of foodstuffs, blankets and others. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs team participated in the group. Meanwhile, the first batch of Indonesian MUSAR Team immediately worked to search and rescue victims at one of the locations in Antakya City, Hatya Province," explained Foreign Minister Retno.

"The assignment was received directly from the USAR Command Cell (UCC), Turkey, based on reports from local residents who informed that survivors were still buried in the rubble of buildings in the area," he said.

Meanwhile, for the second phase, on February 13, 2023, this morning, a Garuda Indonesia A330-300 aircraft had departed, where the Director of PWNI of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also participated in the group.

"The plane carries 119 Emergency Medical Team (EMT) personnel and a support team accompanied by medical equipment, field hospitals, medicines with a total weight of 18 tons. As well as logistical assistance for equipment weighing two tons, which includes blankets, tents, generators, sleeping bags, and ready-to-eat food," he explained.

While the third stage is planned to depart on February 18, 2023, and will depart for 4 aircraft carrying 80 tons of humanitarian aid not only to Turkey, but also to Syria.

"This humanitarian assistance includes ready-to-eat food, mattresses, blankets, tents, warm clothes, hygiene kits, sleeping bags, family tents, children's sweaters and others needed by them," explained Foreign Minister Retno.

"For the record, the number and type of aid that will be dispatched can still change according to the development of needs in the field," he added.