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Indonesia accepts foreign aid amid struggle to contain virus
The likes of Japan, the United States and Australia have offered stockpiles of medical equipment and COVID-19 vaccines, the Foreign Ministry revealed, just as key government officials sent mixed signals to partner countries about Indonesia's willingness to accept international assistance.
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A police officer stands guard near a shipping container containing COVID-19 vaccines produced by AstraZeneca at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, on May 8. Indonesia received 1.3 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine under the COVAX facility, a multilateral effort that aims for equal global access to vaccines. (Antara/Fauzan)
T
he government is beginning to accept assistance offered by more than 10 countries and three nongovernmental organizations, the Foreign Ministry revealed, as confusion over Indonesia’s stance on foreign aid takes hold amid a tsunami of COVID-19 cases sweeping across the nation.
Japan, the United States and Australia are among the countries that have offered stockpiles of medical equipment and COVID-19 vaccines, ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
Most recently, Australia announced it was sending a package of supplies that included 1,000 ventilators, up to 700 oxygen concentrators, more than 170 oxygen cylinders worth A$12 million (US$8.9 million), 40,000 rapid antigen test kits and 2.5 million AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine doses.
The pledge was warmly received when Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi took a phone call with her Australian counterpart, Marise Payne, on Wednesday.
“Indonesia appreciates Australia’s offer of vaccines, ventilators & oxygen-related supplies to deal with the latest surge of COVID-19. Looking forward to following up on our discussion and further bolstering our bilateral cooperation,” she said on Twitter.
A week ago, Indonesia received a shipment of nearly 1 million AZ vaccines from Japan, while Washington recently announced it would be sending 4 million Moderna vaccine jabs to Indonesia under the COVAX global equitable distribution initiative.
Struggling to cope
