Indonesia to send humanitarian aid for Libya flood victims
Jakarta, 22/9 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government will dispatch humanitarian aid to help Libya deal with floods caused by Storm Daniel, which wreaked havoc across the Mediterranean.
"In accordance with a request from the Libyan government, Indonesia has decided to provide assistance considering the strategic position of diplomatic relations between these two countries since 1991," said Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Muhadjir Effendy, here on Friday.
He announced the assistance after a ministerial-level meeting with a number of ministries and institutions.
"The ministerial-level meeting has decided that the Indonesian government will provide logistical assistance in accordance with the needs in the field," he said.
The government has prepared 16 items of assistance for Libya, he added.
"We are expected to send the assistance on September 27," he said.
He added that the assistance will focus on post-disaster management, including long-term assistance related to the rehabilitation and reconstruction process.
"Including the possibility of sending a SAR (search and rescue) team. There have been teams from 16 countries at the disaster site. However, no team has been deployed from the ASEAN region yet," he informed.
"If it is needed later, we have prepared it, even from NGOs (non-governmental organizations), which have been involved in disaster management," he added.
The minister said that the Libyan cities affected by the flood include Derna, Benghazi, Al Bayda, Shahat, and Al Marj.
Meanwhile, Head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), Lt. Gen. Suharyanto, said that BNPB is still coordinating with the Libyan government regarding the types of items it needs.
"But, as an illustration, we are preparing 16 types of goods weighing around 45 tons, plus goods from the Ministry of Health," he informed.
The 16 items comprise those that are usually needed when a flood disaster occurs, Suharyanto said adding, they include tents, blankets, mattresses, children's clothing, adult clothing, cleaning tools, ready-to-eat foods, and generators.
"So, these are the basic items needed for people affected by a flood. This assistance is focused on survivors. For the victims who died, we also provided assistance with body bags and shrouds," he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pahala Nugraha Mansury said that based on the reports he has received so far, there have been no Indonesian victims in Libya's flood disaster.
"We have not received any reports of casualties involving Indonesian citizens in Libya. But, we will continue to monitor it," he added.
