Speaking in Jakarta on Wednesday, Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf said that the figure reflects the total assistance provided since the volcano, which is located in East Flores district, East Nusa Tenggara, began erupting in November last year.
He informed that following the latest eruption on Tuesday, his ministry is focusing on setting up shelters and tents, as well as distributing meals through seven public kitchens in affected villages, including Konga, Bokang, Lawulaga, Ilikirot, and Kanada.
“Our public kitchens produce up to 18 portions of meals per day on average, catering to the needs of both refugees and volunteers,” he said.
The ministry has also deployed a 45-member Disaster Alert Cadet (Tagana) team to assess the situation, evacuate victims, and manage public kitchens and logistics, he added.
He informed that his ministry is mobilizing logistics from various sources, including the Efata Social Affairs Center warehouse in Kupang, the East Flores Social Affairs Office warehouse, and direct purchases based on needs in the field.
“The types of aid are tailored to the actual necessities on the ground,” he said, adding that aid from Kupang has arrived in East Flores, though some areas remain inaccessible due to the eruption.
Yusuf added that his ministry has activated “social barns” in several eruption-hit villages.
He further said that all disaster response measures have been made in collaboration with the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), the National Police (Polri), and regional governments.
As per reports, Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted explosively on Tuesday afternoon, launching an ash column up to 10 thousand meters above its summit, forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate their homes.
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Translator: M. Riezko, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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