TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Minister of Social Affairs Tri Rismaharini visited Lumajang District, East Java Province, to ensure smooth distribution of logistical assistance and to observe the readiness of soup kitchens to fulfill the needs of people displaced by Mount Semeru eruption.

The minister arrived in Lumajang District at 4 a.m. local time and proceeded to the public kitchens established by the Disaster Preparedness Team in Pronojiwo, Pasirian, and Candipuro Sub-districts.

The minister stopped several times to distribute food aid. She also got out of the car in the middle of heavy rain to help collect rocks and sand to cover potholes on the road.

She checked the list of refugees during her time in Candipuro Sub-district to ensure that the public kitchen's ability to meet the needs of the refugees.

Rismaharini also asked her staff to move the position of the public kitchen to safer location, as the kitchen was situated in a vulnerable area.

On Saturday afternoon, the ministry's emergency response team was deployed in Lumajang. Data of victims were collected, elderly, people with disabilities, and children were relocated to safer locations. Logistical assistance was distributed and public kitchens were set up.

The aid from Social Affairs Ministry, which arrived on Sunday afternoon, comprised 300 packages of foodware, 400 packages of kids ware, 200 packages of family kitchen utensils, 200 rolls of tents, 20 units of red and white multipurpose tents, 400 sheets of mattresses, 20 velbeds and 240 packages of children's food. The logistics came from the ministry's warehouse in Bekasi.

From the Social Rehabilitation warehouse in Magelang, they dispatched 180 packages of children's food, 30 packages of family kits, and 50 mattresses.

The East Java Province warehouse distributed 100 mattress, 100 packages of kids ware, 50 packages of clothing, 250 packages of children's food, 50 red roll tents, 50 mattresses, and 100 family kits.

From the Surakarta Social Rehabilitation Office, 100 packages of family kits were sent, along with 80 packages of kids ware, 162 packages of children's food, 25 rolls of tents, 75 mattresses, and 12 boxes of family kitchen utensils.

Read: Mount Semeru Eruption: Hospitals, Health Centers Treat Dozens of Burn Victims

ANTARA