Jokowi Sends Second Batch of Humanitarian Aid to Gaza

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian President Joko Widodo or Jokowi led the ceremony to send off the second batch of the country’s humanitarian aid weighing 20 tons to Palestine from the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in East Jakarta this morning, Nov. 20, 2023.

“Indonesia will continue to support Palestine,” Jokowi expressed the government's commitment in his press statement before releasing the aid, on Monday.

The second batch of aid comprises of medicine, hospital equipment, food, and other necessities according to the needs of the people in the besieged Gaza. According to the President, the aid was funded by the government totaling Rp31.9 billion and community groups, such as PT Paragon Technology and Innovation, the Indonesian Humanitarian Alliance, Kita Bisa, Baznas, and others.

Indonesian Deputy Foreign Minister Pahala Mansury said on a separate occasion that the aid included three tons from the country's International Development Cooperation Fund and 18 tons from the community. “According to input from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), this aid is much needed, particularly in the form of medical equipment,” he said.

Jokowi also said that the second batch of aid,  similar to the first, would be handed over to the Egyptian Red Crescent to be then distributed in Gaza by the UNRWA and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)—two humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza.

The first batch of aid was dispatched to Palestine on November 4, in the form of food, medical equipment, blankets, tents, and other logistical items.

Indonesia has been actively calling for action to end the war, ceasefire, and ensure humanitarian aid can be delivered unimpeded to the people of Gaza, both in various international forums and bilateral meetings with world leaders, including United States President Joe Biden.

“A ceasefire is a must for the sake of humanity,” Jokowi stressed in a meeting with Joe Biden at the White House on Monday, November 13.

DANIEL A. FAJRI

Editor's Choice: Humanitarian Aid to Gaza to be Distributed in 2 Batches, Says Govt

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News