Indonesia has welcomed assistance from foreign donors, ranging from transport aircraft to medical supplies, to speed up relief efforts in disaster-stricken Central Sulawesi.

Although the government has yet to officially declare a 7.4-magnitude earthquake and tsunami that struck the region on Friday a national disaster, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has opened the doors to foreign aid.

Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto, who is in charge of overseeing the assistance, said 14 countries had expressed their commitment to helping ongoing disaster relief efforts.

Singapore, Malaysia, India, South Korea and the United States, for example, have agreed to send Hercules C-130 military transport aircraft.

“At least 10 [Hercules] C-130 aircraft will be deployed to assist the [Indonesian] Air Force,” Wiranto said on Tuesday, adding that “[this] is the kind of air transportation we need to speed up rescue efforts.”

The government specifically requested the Hercules C-130 because Mutiara Sis Al-Jufri Aiport in Palu, Central Sulawesi, had sustained damages during the earthquake and the plane is capable of taking off and landing on unprepared runways.

The 10 military aircraft will be stationed in cities across neighboring provinces, including in Balikpapan in East Kalimantan and Makassar in South Sulawesi, to ensure the timely delivery of food and water and other basic needs for survivors.

Four days after a massive earthquake and ensuing tsunami devastated Palu City and the regencies of Donggala, Sigi and Parigi Moutong, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) recorded more than 61,000 survivors living in 109 temporary shelters.

As clean water was scarce, the government had included water treatment units on its list of aid requested to foreign donors who were willing to help, including Japan, Switzerland and the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Center), Wiranto said.

He went on to say that Japan, ASEAN member countries, Qatar and India would contribute by sending electrical generators.

India, Japan and several ASEAN nations will deploy field hospitals, alongside medical supplies and personnel, while Japan and the AHA Center have also agreed to send tents.

“The donors will not stop at disaster-response measures but will continue [to be involved in] rehabilitation and reconstruction projects,” he said.

The Indian government deployed 37 medical personnel to Palu on Tuesday, confirmed India’s Consul General to Medan Shalia Shah.

More help is also on the way to Central Sulawesi from different parts of the country, with local administrations preparing to send aid and supplies.

According to the latest BNPB data, the death toll has reached 1,234, while 799 people are heavily injured.

Rescue teams on Tuesday were finally able to reach Donggala, Sigi and Parigi Moutong, the regencies that were previously inaccessible, said BNPB spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.

The remains of victims continue to be transported from each regency to Palu for identification and burial, he added.

However, BNPB head Willem Rampangilei said logistic support to at least 10 isolated areas in Sigi and Palu was still hampered and at least 20 more helicopters were needed to carry aid and transport rescue and medical teams.

He also noted that survivors living in temporary shelters were in dire need of tents and water treatment units.

“We need about 2,000 tents and they need to be delivered here soon,” Willem said.

Meanwhile, 16 excavators have been deployed to remove rubble and rescue victims trapped under debris.

However, challenges remain as aftershocks continue to jolt the region, said National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) head M. Syaugi.

Nurni Sulaiman in Medan and suherdjoko in semarang contributed to the story

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