Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (PMK) Pratikno conveyed this after a ministerial meeting to discuss this plan on Monday (December 23).
"President Prabowo Subianto called on us to prepare aid for Vanuatu. The country is our important partner, and this humanitarian issue must become our concern," he remarked in Jakarta.
The minister noted that the advance team from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) would be deployed to Vanuatu on Tuesday to prepare logistics and administration before the first phase of aid is scheduled for delivery on Friday (December 27).
"The aid for Vanuatu on Friday consists of a Search and Rescue (SAR) team, clean water supply, health services, and reconstruction of basic infrastructure, especially health facilities," he elaborated.
He ensured that the humanitarian aid for Vanuatu would not interfere with domestic disaster mitigation at home.
He stated that the government also held a coordination meeting with regional heads to anticipate hydrometeorological disasters during the Christmas and New Year holidays.
"We are sending a different team for Vanuatu, and it does not interfere with our efforts in disaster mitigation in Indonesia," Pratikno remarked.
Initial assistance sent to Vanuatu would also include an Emergency Medical Team (EMT) to provide emergency medical care, medical supplies, and basic logistics, such as food, clean water, and other equipment.
The earthquake hit Vanuatu on December 17 and affected 80 thousand people, including 14,104 children and 769 people with disabilities.
The disaster caused 18 mortality cases, injured 200 people, and forced 947 people to seek shelter in churches and residents' houses in Manples, Britano, Kaweriki, and Kona. The country set an emergency status on December 17-24, 2024.
With such assistance, the government hopes to ease the burden on the people of Vanuatu while strengthening bilateral relations in the Pacific region.
Attendees at the ministerial meeting also comprised Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Head of BNPB Suharyanto, Head of Basarnas Kusworo, Head of BAIS TNI Yudi Abrimantyo, and representatives of other related ministries and institutions.
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Translator: Lintang Budiyanti P, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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