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Evacuees taking shelter in a tent following an earthquake in Sumedang, West Java. (ANTARA/HO-Kemensos) - 

Voinews, Jakarta - The Ministry of Social Affairs has been delivering logistics assistance to people affected by the 4.8-magnitude earthquake that jolted Sumedang District, West Java, on New Year's Eve on Sunday.

In a statement received in Jakarta on Wednesday, the ministry's Director General of Social Protection and Security, Robben Rico, noted that the people are in urgent need of tents for shelter, as the region is still experiencing aftershocks.

Despite the quake, in general, not inflicting heavy damage, the ministry will continue to provide logistics and a place for the people to take shelter in the event of aftershocks, he remarked.

"Based on my first-hand inspection, the overall damage is not severe. However, it is our responsibility to prepare. It is not enough to take merely responsive measures, as we cannot predict when an aftershock will occur," he emphasized.

Rico explained that the ministry had prepared multipurpose tents, family tents, and roll-up tents for the quake victims while noting that large-sized multipurpose tents had been set up at several evacuation points.

"We are receiving quite a high demand for tents. Most of the victims said they were afraid of being struck by an aftershock while staying at their homes, especially at night," he remarked.

In shelters, the ministry has prepared tents equipped with beds, portable toilets, fans, and food. It has also deployed its emergency response unit to build public kitchens to meet the people's need for food.

The ministry's aid included 22 multipurpose tents, 49 family tents, 20 roll-up tents, 105 beds, 140 blankets, 50 packages of children's equipment, 20 packages of kitchen tools, 240 packages of children's food, 70 pallets, 60 sheets of plywood, spotlights, and two thousand kilograms of rice//VOI-ANT