Indonesia to Continue Providing Assistance for Quake-Hit Turkey

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Affairs Muhadjir Effendy and companion visited INASAR team operation center in Antakya, Hatay Province, Türkiye, Wednesday (22/02/2023) (Photo: Press and Media of Presidential Secretariat/Kris)

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Affairs Muhadjir Effendy, Head of the National Agency for Disaster Countermeasure (BNPB) Suharyanto, and Indonesian Ambassador to Türkiye Lalu Muhammad Iqbal Wednesday (22/02) visited the team operations center of Indonesia Search and Rescue (INASAR) in Antakya, Hatay Province, Türkiye.

The personnel of INASAR have been working there since February 12.

According to Muhajir, the Government of the Republic of Indonesia will continue providing humanitarian assistance for the quake victims until the phase of rehabilitation and post-earthquake reconstruction.

“We will also continue providing assistance until the phase of the rehabilitation and reconstruction whenever the Turkish Government needs. The Turkish Government has expressed hope that we will still contribute to the next stage, “he said.

Muhajir also explained that he had a meeting with the Turkish Health Minister to make sure that the humanitarian assistance from Indonesia, including personnel, medical assistance, logistics, equipment, and food were well received by the victims.

“The Turkish Government still hopes to receive assistance for vaccines and serums for tetanus and rabies. I have promised to report the President to fulfil the request”, he said.

The Turkish Government, he added, also requested housing construction for the affected residents during the future rehabilitation dan reconstruction. Therefore, the Government will invite Indonesian private sectors to participate.

“We are waiting for the needs of the Turkish Government. On future rehabilitation and reconstruction, particularly to fulfil the request for housing construction, we will invite private sectors to join the Government. We will carry out consultation with the President to determine the kind of assistance”, Muhajir saif.

“I am impressed with INASAR performance here that have showed real works, including finding the living and the dead. These works will soon end as rehabilitation and reconstruction are about to begin. This is the biggest SAR and humanitarian operation we have carried out completely and we have sent four airplanes to Türkiye and Syria. We will continue providing our next assistance,” he remarked. (Press and Media Presidential Secretariat/AIT) (GA/EP)