The aid truck carrying the humanitarian packages departed from the East Java Police headquarters in Surabaya City for Demak and Kudus on Friday.
East Java Police Chief Insp. Gen. Imam Sugianto told reporters after seeing the aid trucks depart that the delivery followed instructions from National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo.
Aid packages for the flood victims in Kudus and Demak include 9,598 boxes of medicine, 11,842 packs of clothing, 7,016 packs of sanitary pads, 2,408 boxes of biscuits, and 3,101 boxes of Pop Mie cup noodles.
"Our thoughts are with those affected by the floods in Kudus and Demak," he stated.
Regarding the impact of flooding in Kudus, the district's Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) earlier reported that as of Wednesday (March 20), the flash floods inundating certain areas of 31 villages in Kudus had affected 39,272 residents.
Some 3,041 of the affected residents took refuge at 29 temporary shelters, while the number of flood-hit villages increased from 29 to 31, according to the agency's head for the emergency unit, Munaji.
The displaced flood victims are being sheltered at places such as the hall of Kudus District's parliamentary building, village halls, houses of worship, school buildings, and residents' houses, he noted.
To provide cooked meals for the flood victims, the local authorities had set up 15 public kitchens at several places, including mosques, churches, and village halls, he remarked.
The flash floods also hit certain areas of Demak District. As a result, some 1,973 residents got displaced and took refuge in temporary shelters on higher ground, he revealed. Over the past three months, several regions in Indonesia have experienced flash floods.
In Riau Province, for instance, Pelalawan District experienced a 20-year cycle of big floods from December 2023 to January 2024.
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Translator: W.Irawan, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Anton Santoso
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