"Based on the result of our tracing, several Indonesians in the US, including Washington D.C. and its surrounding areas, are facing difficulty in earning a livelihood since they no longer have an income and also cannot afford to fulfill their basic nJakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Embassy in Washington D.C. has handed out hundreds of packages to help meet the basic needs of Indonesians, who lost their jobs in the wake of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.
The COVID-19 outbreak has wreaked havoc on the US economy, with non-essential businesses, including retail, restaurants, and non-formal jobs, among others, being impacted. Several small- and medium-business undertakings were left with no choice but to shut down their operations and lay off their workers.
Not only people in the US but also the Indonesian diaspora community residing and employed in the Uncle Sam country are reeling from the impact of this crisis.
"Based on the result of our tracing, several Indonesians in the US, including Washington D.C. and its surrounding areas, are facing difficulties in earning a livelihood since they no longer have an income and also cannot afford to fulfill their basic needs," Chief of the COVID-19 Task Force of the Indonesian Embassy in Washington D.C. Theodorus Satrio Nugroho noted in a written statement released on Saturday.
Under the efforts to help allay the economic burden on them, the Indonesian Embassy in Washington D.C. distributed packages among the affected Indonesians in the US to help meet their basic needs, he noted.
The aid was especially intended to assist Indonesians in dire need of basic necessities and vulnerable to the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The basic-needs packages, comprising rice, fruits, vitamins, and masks, were distributed to 112 affected Indonesians residing in 28 different locations to as far as Ellicott City, Maryland, situated 67 kilometers from Washington D.C.
Indonesian Vice Ambassador to the US/Ad Interim Charge d'Affaires of the Indonesian Embassy in Washington D.C. Iwan Freddy Hari Susanto remarked that the assistance was aimed at reducing the financial burden on the affected Indonesians.
"The effort should be viewed not only from the type and value of assistance but also from the perspective of involvement, cooperation, and mutual help of all components of the Indonesian community. The assistance is expected to become a moral boost for fellow Indonesians residing abroad that they are not alone during this difficult time," he affirmed.
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Translator: Yashinta Difa Pramudyani/Suhar
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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