IDNAround – Indonesia sent humanitarian aid on Monday to help ease the burden on the 800,000 Pakistani people displaced by the floods and landslides in the South Asian country.
Unprecedented monsoon rains and flooding this year has caused floods and landslides had caused damage to agricultural land, schools, houses, and infrastructure, killing more than 1,600 people this year and injuring around 13,000 people across the country since mid-June. Around 800,000 had been forced to flee their homes.
“To ease the burden on our brothers and sisters in Pakistan and as a form of international solidarity, the Indonesian government has provided humanitarian assistance in the form of approximately $1 million in cash assistance as well as goods which we will immediately send out today,” President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said during an event marking ait delivery at the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base.
The President hopes this assistance can help the people in Pakistan so they can quickly recover and return to their activities.
“The first two planes and the next ones bring basic needs such as tents, clothes, blankets, sleeping bags, generators, as well as medicines and medical supplies,” he said.
In addition, the President said the Indonesian government is preparing to send health workers to provide medical aid to disaster victims in Pakistan.
“The assistance that will be provided does not stop here. By request from the Government of Pakistan, we are also getting our health workers ready to be deployed soon to provide medical services to Pakistani citizens affected by the disaster,” Jokowi said.
On that occasion, President Jokowi also expressed his deep condolences for the loss of life due to the disaster.
“On behalf of myself and the Indonesian people, I express my deepest condolences for the loss of life due to the floods and landslides that occurred in Pakistan,” said Jokowi.
Accompanying Jokowi were Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, Head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Suharyanto, National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, and Pakistan’s Ambassador to the Republic of Indonesia Muhammad Hasan.
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