Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) plans to deliver social assistance to civilians who are victims of the conflict in Gaza, Palestine, and Khartom, Sudan, from next week.

BNPB Head Suharyanto stated on Tuesday that the social assistance will comprise medicines and health equipment from Indonesia to be sent aboard Garuda aircraft.

"Hopefully, we can send the aid next week. We still have several technical issues to be discussed with the task force, which is the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Health Ministry," he noted.

If there are no significant obstacles, the humanitarian aid from Indonesia will be sent twice to refugee camps for victims of the Palestinian and Sudanese conflicts, he added.

He remarked that the total aid amounts to US$1 million from the Indonesian Government and another additional aid from donations collected by domestic volunteers.

"For Palestine, after the aid arrives at the location, the distribution will be carried out directly by the Egyptian government, which is currently handling victims who have fled their territory," Suharyanto explained.

He is optimistic that the delivery of aid would run smoothly to help with medical treatment for victims of the conflict in Palestine and Sudan. Since 2023, the Indonesian government has distributed aid six times and succeeded in safely arriving at destinations in conflict.

One of the aid deliveries was transported with the Indonesian Navy's (TNI-AL's) hospital ship KRI Dr. Radjiman Wedyodiningrat-992 on January 18, 2024, and arrived at the Port of Al Arish in the Sinai Peninsula on the Mediterranean coast on February 13, 2024.

The hospital ship brought 80 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid, including diapers, clothing for children and adults, jackets, various types of foods and medicines, and blankets, which were handed over to the Egyptian Red Crescent for transportation to Rafah, the closest entry point to Gaza, Palestine.

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Translator: M. Riezko Bima EP, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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