In accordance with the directive of Minister of Social Affairs Tri Rismaharini, officials from the Directorate of Social Protection for Natural Disaster Victims and the Medan Insyaf Center of the ministry have moved to distribute logistical assistance in North Tapanuli.
"The Medan Insyaf Center is processing the aid distribution. If everything goes well, they will arrive in Tarutung tonight," Head of the center Iman Imaddudin said in a press statement received here on Saturday.
The assistance that Medan Insyaf Center will disburse includes 1,500 packages of ready-to-eat food, 1,000 packages of children's food, 1,000 packages of ready-to-eat side dishes, 50 boxes of bottled drinking water, 500 sheets of blankets, and 300 sheets of mattresses.
There is additional assistance in the form of 200 mattresses, 300 packages of adult clothing, 200 packages of baby clothes, 100 packages of diapers, 200 roll tents, 20 family tents, and 6 family multipurpose tents.
The government has also deployed Disaster Preparedness Cadets (Tagana) to handle the impact of the earthquake that occurred on Saturday morning in North Tapanuli, Imaddudin informed.
In coordination with the relevant agencies, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Tagana officials have recorded the basic needs of residents affected by the earthquake and helped evacuate victims, especially residents belonging to vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, children, and people with disabilities.
According to the coordinator of the North Sumatra Tagana, Eka Darmayanto, some residents are still feeling too traumatized to return to their homes as they are afraid of the damage to their homes that can endanger their safety.
Related news: Earthquake of magnitude 6.0 jolts North Tapanuli
"For this reason, the Ministry of Social Affairs, through Tagana Sumut, has prepared four family tents," he informed.
The North Tapanuli district was rocked by an earthquake at 2:28 a.m. local time on Saturday. The earthquake, whose epicenter was located approximately 15 kilometers northwest of North Tapanuli at a depth of 10 kilometers, was followed by a series of aftershocks.
The quake affected parts of North Tapanuli, Hubang Hasundutan, Toba, and Central Tapanuli.
According to initial data recorded by the government, the earthquake left one person dead and several people injured, and caused damage to homes and public facilities.
Related news: North Tapanuli earthquake: BPBD collects data on victims, damages
Translator: Devi Nindy Sari, Resinta S
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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