“Through the Ministry of Agriculture, the government has moved swiftly to provide food support and strategic assistance to accelerate the recovery process in the affected regions,” he said in a statement on Sunday.
He delivered the remarks while virtually opening the 7th Congress of the Andalas University Alumni Association (IKA Unand) on Saturday.
He explained that the assistance included 10,614 tons of rice and 1,954 tons of cooking oil for Aceh, and 16,894 tons of rice and 3,108 tons of cooking oil for North Sumatra. It also comprised 6,795 tons of rice and 1,250 tons of cooking oil for West Sumatra.
The minister confirmed that the ministry had deployed its team to the affected areas.
“The Ministry of Agriculture is always ready to act quickly. Food preparedness is crucial, especially when dealing with dynamic weather conditions and challenges on the ground,” he said.
Sulaiman previously stated that national food reserves remain secure, enabling the government to release assistance immediately after a disaster occurs.
“Our brothers and sisters in West Sumatra, North Sumatra, and Aceh have been struck by floods. The government will send assistance, with rice and cooking oil as the initial support,” he said.
The distribution of aid is being carried out with support from the National Food Agency (Bapanas), state logistics firm Bulog, the Food Task Force, the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), and regional governments.
The minister also confirmed that he will visit the affected regions to assess conditions firsthand.
Flash floods and landslides recently struck Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra following heavy, high-intensity rainfall.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) reported that the death toll had reached 303 as of Saturday afternoon, November 29.
The respective governments of the three provinces have declared a disaster emergency response status, effective from November 28 to December 11 for Aceh, November 27 to December 10 for North Sumatra, and November 25 to December 8 for West Sumatra.
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Translator: Muhammad Harianto, Raka Adji
Editor: Primayanti
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