Palu, Central Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) announced that some 18 thousand tents were needed to shelter the disaster-hit refugees in the city of Palu as well as districts of Sigi and Donggala, Central Sulawesi Province.

"We have counted that there are some 70 thousand refugees here, so we need some 18 thousand tents to accommodate them," BNPB Deputy for Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Bernardus Wisnu Widjaja stated here on Tuesday.

Widjaja noted that the BNPB had received some tents from several civil society and non-governmental organizations and distributed them to the disaster-affected areas in Central Sulawesi.

"We have, so far, received five thousand tents, and the Indonesian Red Cross has provided 1,300 tents. Other NGOs have also prepared some additional tents for refugees," he noted.

Widjaja further remarked that as many as 800 emergency tents are required to build temporary classes for children in Palu, Sigi, and Donggala.

The UNICEF had earlier sent 200 tents to serve as temporary classes for children in the three main areas affected by disaster in Central Sulawesi.

Editing by Yuni A Sinaga, Rahmad

Reporter: Antara
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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