President Jokowi Dispatches Aids for Rohingya Refugees

President Jokowi onThursday(13/9) dispatched four Hercules planes from Halim PerdanakusumaAirport in East Jakarta that carried humanitarian aids for Rohingya refugees (Photo by: Public Relations Division/Jay)

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on Thursday (13/9) dispatched four Hercules planes from Halim PerdanakusumaAirport in East Jakarta, that carried humanitarian aids for Rohingya people affected by the conflict in Rakhine State, Myanmar, and who are now taking refuge in Bangladesh-Myanmar border.

In his remarks, the President stressed that this was the first round of aids dispatched and the IndonesianGovernment will dispatch more aids.

“We can send the aids after I assigned Minister of Foreign Affairs to negotiate with Bangladesh Government and the Myanmar Government and to discuss humanitarian aids that are needed,” the President said.

President Jokowi added that the aids include rice, ready to eat food, family kits, water tanks, tents, children clothes, and blankets.Those items are urgently needed. Regarding the use of Hercules aircraft to send the aids,President Jokowi explained thatbased on past experiences, sending aids through containers is time consuming; in fact, the President said, the aids are urgently needed and hoped be used immediately by the refugees.

On that occasion, the Presidentalso extended his biggest gratitude to Bangladesh Government and Myanmar  Government for opening access to send the humanitarian aids and hopes that once the aids arrive, they can be immediately transported by trucks to the camps where the refugees currently take shelter in the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, located around 170 kilometers from the airport.

President Jokowi also thanked all stakeholders such as the public, community organizations, regional governments, and businessmen, who have lent their assistance and who have cooperated with the Government, to alsosend aids for the refugees, both in Myanmar and in Bangladesh.

Before officially dispatching the aids, President Jokowi symbolically handed the aids to the Chairman of Humanitarian Aids Team, Director of Emergency Issues of the National Agency forDisaster Management(BNPB)TunjunganTambunan.

Also joining the President when dispatching the aids were Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Puan Maharani, Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno LP Marsudi, Minister of State Secretary Pratikno, Commander of the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI) General GatotNurmantyo, and Air Force Chief of Staff Air Chief MarshalHadiTjahjanto. (RMI/JAY/ES)(EP/YM/Naster)