“Our team will depart on April 3, 2025. Hopefully, President Prabowo will be able to officially dispatch them,” head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Suharyanto stated at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base, Jakarta, on Tuesday.
Suharyanto explained that the plan to dispatch humanitarian personnel on Thursday is part of a series of aid shipments that began earlier, including sending 12 tons of logistical aid and deploying personnel from the Indonesian Military (TNI) on Monday (March 31) and a search and rescue team from BNPB today.
On Thursday, two aircraft will be deployed—one carrying the government delegation, TNI personnel, and officials from the Ministry of Health, while the other will transport logistical aid provided by both the government and private sector.
"One cargo plane will carry around 80 tons of goods that are urgently needed by people in disaster-affected areas,” Suharyanto revealed.
Related news: Indonesia sends aid, USAR to quake-hit Myanmar
The BNPB has sent a SAR team comprising 53 personnel and security officers from the TNI to assist in evacuating victims of the earthquake in Myanmar.
“Their main task is to search for victims. Hopefully, we can help in finding people who are still alive, or maybe the bodies of the victims,” he noted.
Suharyanto noted that under the coordination of BNPB, the Indonesian team will be on duty for a week.
However, Suharyanto estimated that the humanitarian mission would last a month, based on past experiences in other disaster-affected areas.
The agency head ensured his personnel would remain prepared for extended operations if necessary.
He concluded that the personnel would continue their tasks until the Myanmar authority announced the end of the search for victims.
Related news: Baznas sends emergency supplies to support Myanmar earthquake recovery
Translator: Walda Marison, Yashinta Difa
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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