These aid packages from the Indonesian president are only part of our efforts to strengthen our 'silaturrahim' (communal bonds) to further strengthen our unitySungailiat, Bangka (ANTARA) - Bangka District Head Mulkan steered the distribution of 2,368 aid packages to households in 10 villages in Merawang Sub-district, Kepulauan Bangka Belitung Province, acutely reeling from the impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, on Wednesday.
The second phase of distribution of aid packages was conducted in Jurung Village in accordance with the Bangka District Administration and Regional Leadership Communication Forum's (Forkopimda's) social safety net program, Mulkan, stated.
The first phase of distribution of the local government's aid packages to assist affected households was conducted recently, he noted, adding that local residents should remain consistent in practicing all preventive measures as outlined in the COVID-19 protocols.
Community members venturing outside are required to wear face masks and avoid crowded places, maintain physical and social distancing measures, and inculcate handwashing activities into their daily routine, he pointed out.
Regional and central governments have been distributing aid packages to affected households throughout Indonesia.
On Tuesday (June 16), Social Affairs Minister Juliari Batubara disbursed the government's aid packages to households of retired Indonesian soldiers deployed to defend East Timor in a bid to assuage their sufferings amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The distribution of aid packages containing basic necessities, including rice, cooking oil, canned fish and meat, and instant noodles was not only aimed at helping the affected households to ease their sufferings but also to deepen communal bonds.
"These aid packages from the Indonesian president are only part of our efforts to strengthen our 'silaturrahim' (communal bonds) to further strengthen our unity," he remarked.
The government was keen to ensure that the state was present for the people impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic that initially hit the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019 and then spread throughout most of the world, including Indonesia, is a huge crisis in human history.
Taking into account its confounding impact on public health and socio-economic sectors, the Indonesian government has also encouraged companies, embassies, and community members to assist those reeling from the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak.
To this end, the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, distributed relief packages containing staple food items, including rice, cooking oil, canned food, biscuits, and instant noodles, to Indonesians in April and May.
State-owned contractor PT Wijaya Karya (WIKA) has also allocated corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds, totaling Rp3.14 billion, to be disbursed to assist frontline medical workers at hospitals along with community members.
The moves by WIKA and the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra resonate with calls for mutual cooperation, voiced earlier by President Joko Widodo.
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EDITED BY INE
Translator: Kasmono, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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