VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

European Union (EU) Ambassador to Indonesia Vincent Piket revealed that the 27-nation bloc had apportioned Rp28.9 billion in funds to facilitate handling the impact of COVID-19 in Indonesia.

"The European Union has allocated Rp28.9 billion in funds to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the community, particularly children, in several regions in Indonesia," he stated during the virtual launch of "Indonesia COVID-19 Pandemic Emergency Response (I-COPE)" in cooperation with Wahana Visi Indonesia (WVI) on Wednesday.

The I-COPE program is aimed at curtailing the impact of COVID-19 on the community, particularly children prone to the impact of the infection, he remarked.

The assistance is a manifestation of cooperation between Indonesia and the EU, he affirmed.

"The European Union government is optimistic that the I-COPE program would be able to help the community affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, so that the people's economy would rebound, and children would be able to conduct activities well," he remarked.

The I-COPE program focuses on preventing the transmission of COVID-19 and mitigating its impact on vulnerable children and families in 90 villages in Jakarta, East Java, Ternate City, North Halmahera District in North Maluku, East Sumba District, and Southwest Sumba District in East Nusa Tenggara.

The program will target 1.1 million people comprising 12 thousand of the vulnerable group, including children, women, and senior citizens as well as people with disabilities, who are at high risk of contracting COVID-19.

WVI Director Doseba Sinay affirmed that the I-COPE project will last for 24 months, with the objective of intensifying efforts to avert the spread of COVID-19, providing assistance for sustainable economic recovery through the micro economic initiative, and implementing the cash voucher program. (antaranews)