To assist Turkiye earthquake victims, PMI sends a medical team

"We must support one another because Turkey has made a significant contribution to Aceh, helping to rebuild up to 1,000 homes"

Indonesia (Infomu) - Following the country's earthquake on February 6, 2023, the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) has sent a medical team to help with evacuation and recovery activities in Turkiye.

"The national team does indeed include the medical team. Five health officials, including doctors, nurses, and X-ray specialists, have been sent to Turkiye by the PMI "Jusuf Kalla, the chair of the PMI, gave a speech on Friday at the Turkish embassy.

He added that PMI is prepared to lend a helping hand in disaster response and rehabilitation activities wherever and that the decision to send a medical team is a statement of solidarity with Turkiye.

He stated that the PMI had also sent Turkiye $100,000 in relief.

The medical team will remain in Turkiye until the emergency response phase has ended, and Kalla claims that they are prepared to take strategic action during the recovery and reconstruction efforts.

"The emergency response team will lead the disaster (reaction teams), followed by the recovery and construction teams. Emergency response will be our first area of focus, and housing will be a future area of focus "added the PMI director.

Then, he urged Indonesians to support earthquake victims in Syria and Turkey by making a financial contribution, stating that any sum would be beneficial to those affected.

He also emphasized the necessity of finding various ways to pay back the goodwill Turkish citizens extended to Indonesia during the Aceh earthquake and tsunami in 2004.

"We need to help each other," he stated. "Turkish contribution to Aceh is tremendous; they helped the repair of up to 1,000 buildings."

To find and evacuate Indonesian people, the Indonesian embassy in Turkiye has dispatched a second evacuation convoy from Ankara to the regions of Diyarbakir, Sanliurfa, Hatay, and Gaziantep for three days.

The embassy's trade attaché and leader of the evacuation team, Eric Gokasi Nababan, announced on Friday that "we have received additional requests to evacuate 12 Indonesians from earthquake-affected districts."

179 aid packages have also been delivered by the embassy to Indonesians who have chosen to remain in their regions and require logistical support.