PP Aisyiyah and Zaskia Adya Mecca Educate on Nutrition for Disaster-Affected Areas
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Central Leadership Health Council (Majelis Kesehatan Pimpinan Pusat, PP) Aisyiyah, together with Zaskia Adya Mecca, has educated dozens of cadres and volunteers to ensure nutritional recovery for communities and prevent the provision of sugary condensed milk to survivors in disaster-affected areas.
PP Aisyiyah Health Council Chair Warsiti, in a written statement received in Jakarta on Tuesday, emphasised that fulfilling nutritional needs is often neglected in Indonesia’s emergency disaster management.
“Through the collaboration of YAICI, Makes PP Aisyiyah, and Rangkul Foundation, the cadres and volunteers are now equipped with guidelines for handling child nutrition post-disaster. This is a concrete step for public health,” Warsiti said.
The activity gathered cadres from disaster-affected areas in Aceh Tamiang Regency (Aceh), Langkat (North Sumatra), and Agam (West Sumatra).
Zaskia Adya Mecca, now active in humanitarian work, reminded that aid distribution in disaster areas requires precision in targeting, in addition to the speed of donation collection.
“Indonesian society is among the quickest in gathering donations. The challenge is how to distribute them, how to ensure they are appropriate to help the lives of disaster victims,” she stated.
MDMC Chair Budi Setiawan added that the selection of food logistics for disaster victims must be adjusted to healthy nutritional standards.
He highlighted the dangers of providing brewed sugary condensed milk to survivors, as this practice risks worsening their health conditions in the future.
Budi stressed that vulnerable groups given instant intake like sugary condensed milk daily could experience serious health disorders. This education is important so that volunteers have practical knowledge in selecting aid that truly supports the long-term health of affected residents.
Tria acknowledged that sugary condensed milk is often a practical choice at evacuation sites because it is easy to obtain and serve to residents. However, she warned that this practicality should not sacrifice the nutrition of toddlers, especially in crisis situations that require maximum immune strength.
Zaskia Adya Mecca also emphasised the mental and physical preparedness of volunteers who will directly enter the field to face challenging conditions.
According to her, besides good intentions, volunteers must have sufficient technical skills and knowledge regarding emergency situations they may not have faced before.
In addition to focusing on nutrition education for mothers and children, this cross-institutional collaboration is also committed to providing trauma healing programmes for child survivors.