Dubai: An Indonesian diplomat in Dubai on Monday urged his compatriots who wish to extend help to quake and tsunami victims back home to send it directly to the Indonesian Red Cross.
Mari bersama bantu Warga #Palu dan sekitarnya yang terdampak bencana gempa-tsunami di #SulawesiTengah melalui #PMI. Untuk update giat PMI dalam respon bencana ini silahkan cek di hastag #BantuPaluDonggala #PMISiapBantu pic.twitter.com/NOgi9K4da9
— Indonesian Red Cross (@palangmerah) October 1, 2018
A 7.5 magnitude quake and a two-metre tsunami hit a small city in the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia on Friday, killing more than 800 people and flattening villages.
Indonesian Consul-General Ridwan Hassan said the missions in the UAE are closely following the news and developments back home as ground personnel grapple with rescue and relief operations.
“We have received some sympathies from various corners. We haven’t scheduled any activities in terms of collecting donations yet but if there is any intention from the community to donate or to express their sympathies, we advise them to send it directly to known charities such as the Indonesian Red Cross,” Hassan told Gulf News.
Hassan’s message came following developments on Monday that Indonesia will accept international help for disaster response as directed by President Joko Widodo.
Collecting donations by unauthorised entities is illegal in the UAE.
Channelling relief efforts, especially in the form of money, directly to authorised agencies working on the ground is the best way to make sure help quickly reaches those who need it the most.
An estimated 100,000 Indonesians live and work in the UAE, majority of whom are in Dubai and the northern emirates.
Hassan said he has not received reports of any member of the community who have been affected by the natural disaster in the world’s largest archipelago.
“We are planning to get together in an informal gathering as a community just like we did two months ago when a similar tragedy happened. In such conditions, there is solidarity, people become a big family,” Hassan said.
On August 5, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck the Indonesian islands of Lombok and Bali, killing more than 100 people, and displacing at least 20,000 people.
Judhi Prasetyo, a member of the Indonesian community, said they are following the Consul-General’s lead regarding sending relief.
“The Indonesian community in Dubai is very concerned about what happened in Sulawesi. We are doing various actions as much as we can to help and will send directly to the Indonesian Red Cross,” Prasetyo told Gulf News.
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
Bank Mandiri
Account Number: 070-00-0011601-7
Swift code: B M R I I D J A
Account Name: Palang Merah Indonesia (Indonesian Red Cross)
Bank BRI
Account Number: 0390-01-000030-30-3
Swift Code: B R I N I D J A
Account name: Palang Merah Indonesia (Indonesian Red Cross)
