VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - A team from the National Alms Agency (Baznas) is scheduled to leave for Gaza to provide health assistance directly to the victims of Israeli military aggression.

"Inshallah (God willing), in the next batch, the third week of November (2023), we will go to Egypt and will enter Gaza," head for distribution and utilization at Baznas, Saidah Sakwan, said here on Thursday.

The agency has coordinated with the Egyptian International Committee of the Red Cross to enter the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border gate, which connects Egypt and the Gaza Strip.

In carrying out its humanitarian mission, Baznas will provide special assistance in the form of medicines and other health equipment to support the treatment of the Palestinian people.

"We will also bring assistance, which we will specifically dedicate to fulfilling medicines and medical equipment. So, inshallah, we will do that in the next batch," she informed.

She noted that the medicines and supporting equipment would not be sent from Indonesia, instead, it would be procured and prepared directly in Egypt.

"So, we will buy medicines in Egypt, then enter through the Rafah gate, which is facilitated by the Egyptian Red Cross," she said.

A budget of Rp7 billion (around US$442,097) has been prepared for the second batch of Baznas assistance for the Palestinian people, she disclosed.

"We will bring a fund of 5 to 7 billion (Indonesian rupiah) because the needs for the second batch are medicine needs. We have received a listing from the Egyptian Red Cross," she added.

University students who have received scholarships from Baznas will be roped in to ensure the smooth provision of assistance to Palestinians.

"We have 300 university students who are recipients of Baznas scholarships in Egypt, and later, they will be involved to help in preparing the medicine needs," Sakwan said. (Antaranews)