Indonesia Awaiting Clearance to Send Hospital Ship to Gaza

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi confirmed on Thursday, Jan. 4, that the government is preparing to send a naval hospital ship to Gaza as part of the humanitarian aid, but is still awaiting approval from relevant authorities. The besieged enclave has been under relentless Israeli bombardment for nearly three months.

President Joko Jokowi Widodo has sent two batches of humanitarian assistance, with the latest in November 2023. Minister Retno stressed that the country’s relief efforts would not stop there.

“We are preparing to send the hospital ship. We are still waiting for clearance from the relevant authorities,” Retno said in a discussion on Indonesian diplomacy at the Indonesia Maju Media Center, in Menteng, Central Jakarta.

Retno stopped short of detailing which authorities were involved. She said that the government would, from time to time, look at the needs of the people in the besieged enclave. “So the assistance we provide will be adjusted to their needs,” she added.

The naval hospital ship will provide medical services and bring in other aid, which will be adjusted to the existing needs.

Retno also mentioned Indonesia's promise to triple its contribution to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which was conveyed on the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at the UN Office in Geneva, Switzerland, on December 11, 2023.

NABIILA AZZAHRA

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