Minister of Religious Affairs allocates Rp3 billion in aid for NTT earthquake victims
The Ministry of Religious Affairs has been active since the onset of the disaster, conducting damage assessments and distributing aid to several areas.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar distributed emergency response aid worth Rp3 billion for the communities affected by the Flores earthquake, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), which was handed over during a visit to Madrasah Aliyah Negeri (MAN) Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai Regency, on Thursday.
“For me, this (the distribution of aid) is not yet enough. I wanted to visit personally, and finally, today I am able to come to this place,” the Minister stated in his remarks in Jakarta on Thursday.
The Minister noted that the aid is part of the government’s efforts to assist the community through the emergency response period while simultaneously accelerating the recovery of educational and religious services.
Since the earthquake occurred, the Ministry of Religious Affairs has coordinated with regional offices to map community needs and distribute various forms of assistance, ranging from tents to basic necessities.
According to Nasaruddin, his presence in NTT was not merely to carry out government duties. He wanted to ensure that the affected communities feel the presence of the state as well as the support of their fellow citizens.
The Head of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs for East Nusa Tenggara Province, Fransiskus Kariyanto, stated that the Ministry’s ranks have been active since the beginning of the disaster by conducting damage data collection and distributing aid to several regions.
“Aid has been distributed to Ende, Nagekeo, Ngada, East Manggarai, Manggarai, and West Manggarai,” he said.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs had previously provided 16 emergency learning tents and 1,000 school kits to support the teaching and learning processes for students affected by the earthquake. The Minister hopes that government aid and community solidarity can accelerate the recovery of Flores.
He called upon all parties to continue working together to assist affected residents until they can return to their normal activities.