“This is not government-to-government assistance. The aid comes from a non-governmental organization,” Nasution said.
He explained that because the assistance did not originate from a foreign government, the Medan city administration decided to entrust its distribution to Muhammadiyah, citing the group’s extensive grassroots network and long experience in humanitarian and disaster-response operations.
Nasution also confirmed that the aid would not be returned to its country of origin, addressing earlier public confusion over its status.
“It will not be sent back. Because this assistance is from an NGO, it is being handed over to an Indonesian NGO, namely Muhammadiyah, which will distribute it directly to affected residents,” he said.
Muhammadiyah Chairman Haedar Nashir welcomed the trust placed in his organization by the North Sumatra provincial government and humanitarian partners from the United Arab Emirates.
He said Muhammadiyah remains committed to assisting communities affected by disasters across Indonesia, regardless of whether an emergency has been formally declared.
“In our humanitarian work, we do not prioritize the status of a disaster. When people need help, that is when Muhammadiyah steps in,” Nashir said
Nashir added that the organization’s guiding principle in disaster response is to act quickly and effectively rather than focusing on publicity.
“Our approach is to talk less and do more. We prioritize concrete, fast, and targeted action,” he said.
The rice aid would be distributed immediately to communities most in need as part of Muhammadiyah’s ongoing commitment to humanitarian service, he added.
Earlier, on Friday, Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian clarified that the 30 tons of rice received by the Medan city government was not official assistance from the UAE government.
He said the aid was provided by the United Arab Emirates Red Crescent, a humanitarian organization.
Karnavian explained that city officials initially believed the donation came directly from the UAE government, which led to delays in distribution due to procedural concerns.
The city administration later confirmed that the aid originated from a non-governmental organization, allowing it to proceed with distribution through humanitarian partners.
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Translator: Mecca Yumna, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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