MoSA Immediately Replaces Flood Victim Aid

JAKARTA (8 January 2024) - The Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA) has replaced the family kit aid package for flood victims in Serua Village, Ciputat District, South Tangerang. This was carried out in response to grievances raised by residents about four family kits that had expired and were distributed by the South Tangerang City Social Office on Saturday (6/1/2024).

MoSA promptly replaced the expired aid with a fresh one and removed the old one. Residents of South Tangerang, who have been affected by flooding since Friday night, received this aid.

"That's correct, MoSA has substituted them with new aid supplies that the inhabitants have obtained," Hendriwan, Head of RT 04 RW 09, Serua Village, Ciputat, South Tangerang, stated.

Hendriwan said that MoSA had withdrawn the expired aid. The South Tangerang Social Office has also clarified the incident.

The family kit, which is one of the aids for flood victims, contains several items, such as eucalyptus oil, talc, shampoo, soap, and other personal hygiene needs.

Regarding this, MoSA regularly sends letters of appeal to the training centers, centers, and integrated centers of MoSA as well as the social granary administrators across Indonesia once every six months to assess the disaster logistics. This is done to prevent recipients from receiving expired items.

"We wrote to the administrators of disaster logistics to check them periodically every six months. MoSA stipulates that 75 days before the expiry date, logistics must be distributed to disaster victims," said Acting Director of MoSA’s Social Protection for Natural Disaster Victims (PSKBA), M. Delmi.

However, Delmi added that if there is no disaster within 75 days before expiry, logistical goods can be distributed to support social activities, social institutions, disaster management volunteers, as well as activities that support the duties and functions of MoSA’s Training Centers, Centers, and Integrated Centers.

Junior Social Counselor of South Tangerang Social Office, Filipe Da Costa, claimed that his party was in a state of panic as a result of floods in their area after a lengthy period of no floods. As a result, they distributed disaster help without rechecking the commodities' condition.

"We panicked, and we promptly distributed the aid that was in the warehouse. "We didn't recheck the goods' condition," Filipe added.

Apart from family kits, MoSA also distributed basic food aid and blankets for South Tangerang residents who have been hit by floods since Friday (5/1/2024).