Indonesia distributes majority of Hajj sacrificial meat to Palestinian people

Jeddah (ANTARA) - The Government of the Republic of Indonesia, through the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, has officially distributed the majority of ‘dam’ or ‘hadyu’ sacrificial meat, provided by Indonesian Hajj pilgrims, to the people of Palestine.

This distribution serves as a tangible manifestation of Indonesia’s strong commitment and humanitarian solidarity, aligning with direct instructions from the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto. The Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, symbolically handed over the humanitarian aid to the Palestinian Consul General in Jeddah, Ihab Al-Qishawi, on Wednesday.

“I have symbolically handed over the commitment in accordance with the orders of President Prabowo Subianto, ensuring that the dam or hadyu meat from our Hajj pilgrims is distributed to the people of Palestine,” he stated in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

He explained that during this year’s Hajj season, there were approximately 135,000 goats resulting from ‘dam’ payments made by Indonesian pilgrims. The Indonesian government aims to allocate the majority, or if possible, the entirety of this 135,000-head supply to the people of Palestine. However, a portion will also be distributed to other conflict-affected regions in the Middle East, following discussions with the Adahi organisation.

Regarding the delivery mechanism, Dahnil outlined that the meat is specially processed and packaged by Adahi into Ready-to-Eat (RTE) meals. This modern packaging process allows the meat to remain preserved for up to one year, making it safe and suitable for long-distance transport. The nutritious meat supply will be sent directly to the Gaza Strip and various other Palestinian areas in need of food logistics.

The delivery route will utilise land routes through Egypt, leveraging Adahi’s established relationship and proven track record of successfully delivering aid across the border in previous years.

“They [the Palestinian side] are very pleased and expressed that they have never doubted the commitment of the Indonesian Government, especially as President Prabowo continues to conduct various forms of real diplomacy to support the Palestinian people,” said Dahnil.