Hostile Situation in Gaza Makes Evacuating Indonesians Difficult

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government's plan to evacuate 10 Indonesians from the Gaza Strip is faced with obstacles because conditions in the area have not yet subsided. This was revealed by Fikri Rafi'ul Haq, an Indonesian student volunteering at the Medical and Humanitarian Institute (MER-C).

Indonesians trapped in the Gaza Strip have received news from the Indonesian Embassy in Amman, the Indonesian Embassy in Cairo, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, all advising them to evacuate. But this is difficult following the closure of Rafah, which is the border between Gaza and Egypt and the only entrance that is not controlled by Israel following its air strikes.

"Yesterday we took part in a Zoom [meeting], and we were told that there are many obstacles that make it difficult to evacuate because the current conditions are not yet conducive," Fikri told Tempo by phone on Wednesday, October 11.

Fikri and two other Indonesian MER-C volunteers, Reza Aldilla Kurniawan and Farid Zanzabil Al-Ayubi have received news from the MER-C center to remain in the Gaza Strip. However, there were other volunteers who returned home because they prioritized safety.

"If the situation becomes too serious, we will hopefully be evacuated," he said.

The three volunteers are now stationed at the Indonesian Hospital (RSI) in Bayt Lahiya, north of Gaza. Since the fights between Israel and Palestine broke out on October 7, many residents took refuge in RSI, some having to sleep on the floor amid the cold autumn air.

"They are looking for safe places. Perhaps because the school run by the United Nations, which is also one of the places to evacuate, is full," he said.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) announced that on Tuesday, 10 October 2023, more than 187,000 people in the Gaza Strip had been displaced from their homes due to the war that had been going on for five days.

Nabiila Azzahra

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