CAIRO, BERITALINGKUNGAN.COM – Humanitarian aid from the Indonesian government for Palestine arrived at Cairo International Airport, Egypt on Thursday (4/4) at 10:00 AM local time.
The humanitarian aid arrived in Cairo after a flight of approximately 12 hours using a Garuda Indonesia aircraft type A330-900, which also carried an Indonesian delegation for the humanitarian mission.
The delegation, led by the Head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), Lieutenant General TNI Suharyanto, brought humanitarian aid worth 15.1 billion rupiahs consisting of medicines, medical equipment, logistics, and other items as requested in the diplomatic note sent by the Egyptian government to the Indonesian government.
The aid for Palestine is provided through the Egyptian government considering there are approximately one and a half million Palestinian refugees in Rafah City, Egypt. Additionally, several hospitals in Egypt also treat victims of conflict in Palestinian territories.
The delivery of this aid was carried out under the orders of President Joko Widodo. During the release of humanitarian aid conducted the day before on Wednesday (3/4) at Halim Perdana Kusuma Airport, Jokowi stated that this aid shows the Indonesian government’s commitment to maintaining world peace and actively engaging in various humanitarian missions, both due to war and disasters.
The signing ceremony of the handover of humanitarian aid took place in the VIP room of Cairo International Airport, between the Head of the Legal and Cooperation Bureau of BNPB, Irma Dewi Rismayati, and the Associate Minister for International Relations of the Ministry of Health and Population, Dr. Hatem F. Amer, witnessed by Cairo government officials, other Indonesian delegations including Members of Commission VIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), Acting Deputy for Coordination of Regional Development and Disaster Management of the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Head of BNPB Financial Bureau, BNPB Trainer, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Head of Crisis Center of the Indonesian Ministry of Health, and the Indonesian Embassy in Cairo.
Next, the Head of BNPB symbolically handed over humanitarian aid to representatives of the Egyptian Ministry of Health.
Suharyanto hoped that the aid provided by the Indonesian government to Palestine through the Egyptian government could benefit Palestinian refugees and those being treated in Egypt.
“Hopefully, this aid can alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people due to the conflict in the Gaza Strip,” he said.
He also hoped that the delivery of this aid could strengthen the relationship between Indonesia and Egypt, which has been running well so far.
Meanwhile, representatives of the Egyptian Ministry of Health expressed their gratitude to the Indonesian government for supporting their efforts to assist Palestinian citizens.
“We express our gratitude to the Indonesian government for supporting us, especially in terms of medicines and medical equipment, to treat and handle Palestinian victims of conflict,” he explained.
Direct Inspection of Patients Affected by the Palestine Conflict
After delivering the aid, the Indonesian delegation led by the Head of BNPB also conducted visits and inspections at the Nasser Institute Hospital for Research and Treatment. During the inspection, the delegation directly observed the conditions of patients and the care provided by the hospital.
One of the child patients encountered by the Indonesian delegation was named Abdullah. He was initially declared critical but was ultimately saved after undergoing open reduction and external fixation surgery on his left lower limb at the hospital.
As the head of the delegation, the Head of BNPB also had the opportunity to directly provide logistical assistance to these patients.
Suharyanto appreciated the Egyptian government for effectively handling and treating patients affected by the conflict in Palestine.
“Earlier, we were invited to see firsthand the conditions of Palestinian citizens being treated at this hospital. We can see that the patient care is going very well, and many victims can recover after being treated at this hospital,” explained Suharyanto.
The Nasser Institute Hospital itself has received a total of 97 Palestinian patients since the border was opened on November 1, 2023. As of today, Thursday (4/4), there are still 36 patients being treated with various cases. The Head of Nasser Institute Hospital, Dr. Mahmoud Saied, stated that the most common cases handled are orthopedic cases caused by bomb attacks.
He felt that the Nasser Institute Hospital greatly benefited from the humanitarian aid provided by the Indonesian government.
“We always coordinate with the Egyptian Ministry of Health regarding the needs for handling conflict victims in Palestine. We are very grateful for this humanitarian aid from the Indonesian government; once again, thank you for your kindness,” he concluded (Marwan Aziz).