Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Logistics assistance from the Social Affairs Ministry for emergency response has arrived in Donggala District, Central Sulawesi, after an earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale hit the district and the city of Palu last Friday.

"The logistics assistance reached Donggala and has been distributed to the victims of the disaster," Social Affairs Ministry Expert Staff Prof. Syahabuddin remarked here on Tuesday.

He said the distributed logistics is from the Ministry of Social Affairs` warehouses in Makassar, Gorontalo, and the area around Central Sulawesi.

In addition, the Social Affairs Ministry has built eight field public kitchens in Palu, and one in Donggala.

Each public kitchen can cook 500 cups of packaged rice in one hour for the disaster victims and volunteers.

"Right now in terms of the emergency response, we are still focusing on basic services such as food needs for refugees," he added.

Information from the Director General of Protection and Social Security of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Harry Hikmat, said public kitchens were set up at the home of the Central Sulawesi governor in Palu, at the Muhamadyah University campus in Palu City, and other areas.

In addition, the public kitchens will also be set up in Donggala, Sigi Panau, Sigi Petebo and the west coast of Donggala.

In the meantime, the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) has also sent additional logistics assistance to help deal with the emergency response in Central Sulawesi.

"This step was taken in accordance with Jusuf Kalla`s directives as PMI chairperson. He has instructed all levels of PMI`s resources to continue supporting efforts in the handling of the affected victims and in the emergency response process," Head of the PMI Headquarters Infrastructure Bureau Tia Kurniawan noted in a press release received in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Kurniawan noted that the PMI had sent logistical and operational vehicles, with a total of 70 tons simultaneously from four regional warehouses owned by PMI across Indonesia.

Reporting by Desi Purnamawati
Editing by Otniel Tamindael

Reporter: Antara
Editor: Andi Abdussalam
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