Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Social Affairs ensured that the needs of refugees from the Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki eruption in East Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, were met by distributing the third phase of emergency response logistical assistance.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the ministry said that the third phase of logistical assistance had arrived at the district's Larantuka Port and was immediately distributed to evacuation posts.

"Upon arrival in Larantuka, we immediately distributed it to six evacuation locations," said Dika Yudistira, an officer from the ministry's Directorate of Social Protection for Natural Disaster Victims (PSKBA), in the statement.

He stated that the six locations were in the villages of Konga, Bokang Wulumatang, Lewolaga, Eputobi, Kobasuma, and Ile Gerong.

The third phase of logistical assistance comprises one thousand mattresses, 15 multipurpose tents, 1,000 blankets, 1,000 family kit packages, 600 roll-up tents, 800 ready-to-eat food packages, and 1,000 children's food packages, with a total aid value of Rp1.6 billion (around US$102,000).

With the arrival of the third phase of assistance, the ministry has distributed a total of Rp3.8 billion in logistical aid for Lewotobi victims.

The ministry also sent 10 doctors and health workers to provide health services at evacuation sites, where they began conducting health checks on Wednesday.

To support learning, the ministry set up multipurpose tents functioning as emergency schools at each evacuation post for school-age children.

To date, 13,116 people, including 3,373 families, have been affected by the Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki eruptions.

On Wednesday, the Geological Agency stated that the volcano is still very active, with an eruption accompanied by incandescent lava flows.

Authorities have banned all activities within 7 kilometers of the crater and 9 kilometers in the southwest-northwest direction.

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Translator: Hana Dewi Kinarina K, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Anton Santoso
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