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Indonesia receives 58 foreign aid packages for COVID-19 relief: Foreign Minister
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French firefighters in Marseilles conduct a PCR COVID-19 test on April 3, during a strict lockdown in France to stop the spread of the virus. (AFP/Christophe SIMON)
T
he Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that Indonesia had received 58 international aid packages for COVID-19 relief. They came from foreign governments, international organizations, NGOs and the private sector.
Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said that nine of the aid packages had come from foreign governments, 42 from NGOs and the private sector and seven from international organizations.
“The governments of China, Japan, the United States, Singapore, Vietnam, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates have sent aid,” Retno said at a virtual press briefing in Jakarta on Thursday.
The seven international organizations that have given aid packages to Indonesia are the World Health Organization, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Global Fund, and UNICEF.
In addition, Indonesia has received 42 assistance packages from NGOs and private enterprises in nine countries, namely China, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam, France, Russia, Germany, Japan and Sweden.
Read also: Public health and Indonesia's foreign policy in time of coronavirus
“Most of the aid is in the form of masks, rapid testing kits and personal protective equipment,” Retno said.
The Foreign Ministry said it would prioritize seven kinds of medical equipment to be accepted, namely personal protective equipment, N95 and surgical masks, rapid testing kits, virus transfer media (Dacron swabs), ventilators, RT-PCR with reagent and thermometers (infrared and thermal).
“Amid this pandemic, Indonesia’s diplomacy will continue with two main focuses, namely citizen protection and international cooperation facilitation,” Retno said.
Although every country, she added, was busy with their domestic affairs, especially in addressing the spread of COVID-19, the spirit of collaboration remained.
“It is the spirit that can help us fight the COVID-19 pandemic,” Retno said.
According to the WHO, the pandemic has spread to 211 territories around the world. As of Wednesday, more than 1.3 million cases have been confirmed with nearly 80,000 deaths.
