Indonesia, Jordan to Join Hands in Air-dropping Aid to Gaza
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26 March 2024 17:54 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia has sent aid to Gaza, Palestine several times, by land, sea, and air. However, the distribution of aid is often hampered and subjected to many attacks. In an effort to overcome these obstacles, the Indonesian government is exploring the option of distributing aid by airdrop technique, with the cooperation of the Jordanian government.
"The Indonesian government was invited to talk by the Jordanian government to help Palestine by air, through airdrop," said Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi in a press conference on Tuesday, March 26, 2024.
The government has also discussed the matter with the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, the Minister of Defense, and the TNI Commander. The decision to deliver assistance by air is still being finalized. “We are still finalizing what kind of assistance to be airdropped [to Gaza],” Retno added.
On the same occasion, the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs Muhadjir Effendy emphasized that the airdrop assistance is currently still in the discussion stage with related parties.
"What we have confirmed is medical assistance for both Sudan and Palestine," Muhadjir said. As he detailed, for Palestine, the aid will be channeled through the Egyptian Government.
Nevertheless, the obstacles in distributing aid by land remain a major concern. Therefore, the government is looking for alternatives to delivering assistance to the people of Gaza, especially in the northern part which receives minimal assistance.
Although dropping aid by air has obstacles, such as acceptance on the ground and weather uncertainty, it is considered a solution to the challenges faced in aid distribution by land.
The Indonesian government has agreed to distribute emergency health assistance to Palestine and Sudan, totaling US$1 million each.
Retno detailed that Indonesia received a request for assistance from the Egyptian Government and the Egyptian Ministry of Health that focuses on health. The assistance concerns Palestinian refugees in Egypt.
Meanwhile, another request for assistance was from the Government of Sudan, to deal with health problems in the country, as a result of the civil war that broke out in 2023.
ADINDA JASMINE PRASETYO
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