BPKP Guards The Provision Of Indonesian Government Assistance To Vanuatu Worth IDR 7.2 Billion

Deputy Head of the Financial and Suspension Supervisory Agency (BPKP) for Polhukam PMK Iwan Taufiq Purwanto said BPKP participated in overseeing the provision of assistance from the Indonesian Government to Vanuatu so that it was right on target.

The provision of assistance is a form of humanitarian support to countries in the South Pacific which was hit by earthquakes and storms some time ago.

"BPKP participates in overseeing the provision of assistance from the Indonesian government to Vanuatu so that it is accountable and on target," he said in Jakarta, Tuesday, May 9.

Iwan said that the assistance sent by the Indonesian government to Vanuatu was to help ease the population or residents of Vanuatu who were affected by the earthquake and storm that hit the South Pacific country.

Furthermore, Iwan explained that the assistance sent by the Indonesian government to Vanuatu was a basic need for the refugees.

"As stated by the Head of BNPB, the Indonesian government sent logistical assistance for basic needs of 34.7 tons consisting of 11 types of goods with a value range of Rp. 7.2 billion," he said.

The assistance was dispatched on May 8, 2023 through Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on the Cargo My Indo Airline aircraft. The Indonesian government also sent a Humanitarian Team totaling 14 representatives from the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, BNPB, and BIN using Garuda aircraft.

Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for Human Empowerment and Culture Muhadjir Effendy said the assistance handed over by the Indonesian government to the Vanuatu state was a form of solidarity and humanitarian support in dealing with disasters.

"This is also a form of Indonesia's concern for disasters in other countries," he said.

It is known, Vanuatu declared a state of emergency after the earthquake and hurricane. Reportedly, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 rocked the country on Friday, May 3, a day after Typhoonos hit. The fourth-category storm sparked damage and flooding across nearly all 83 islands in the country.

In the midst of the situation, local residents are now facing another major tropical storm, Topan Kevin. About 5,000 people are reported to have fled.

Meanwhile, Topan Kevin, who was recorded as a third category of storms, brought winds up to 130 km/hour. So far, no casualties have been reported. However, as a result of the disaster, almost all residents of Vanuatu, about 300,000 people, were affected.