MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, MEDAN – Humanitarian aid in the form of 30 tons of rice from Emirates Red Crescent, a non governmental organization (NGO) based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has officially been distributed through the Muhammadiyah Disaster Management Center (MDMC) of the Central Board of Muhammadiyah on Monday (22/12).
In a special statement, Sarniyah, a member of MDMC’s Emergency Response, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Division, explained the mechanism of the aid distribution process from the donor to MDMC.
“The aid was initially handed over at the Medan City Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) post. It was then directly transported to a Muhammadiyah-owned warehouse that has been specially designated for aid from the UAE,” Sarni said in an exclusive interview conducted on Saturday (20/12).
She further explained that during the process, MDMC, together with three other NGOs, was invited by the North Sumatra BPBD to discuss the distribution mechanism for the 30 tons of rice from the UAE.
“We were invited to discuss, along with three either BPBD recommended organizations, how the aid should be distributed. In short, Emirates Red Crescent, as the donor, chose MDMC to distribute the rice that had been returned by BPBD,” Sarni explained.
As a form of transparency and accountability, Sarni emphasized that the rice assistance from Emirates Red Crescent will be distributed alongside aid from other Muhammadiyah donors. In total, at least six trucks will be deployed to deliver this humanitarian assistance.
“This aid is not mixed with other donors’ assistance. For the distribution plan, we allocate it based on data collected from Muhammadiyah-assisted command posts and service posts in North Sumatra,” she clarified.
“In total, we will distribute all the aid we have received, around six trucks, to disaster-affected areas in North Sumatra and its surrounding regions,” Sarni added.
Meanwhile, Chairperson of the Provincial Board of Muhammadiyah (PWM) of North Sumatra, Hasyimsyah Nasution, stated that his office, together with MDMC, had determined the distribution points, which will specifically cover areas in North Sumatra such as Medan City, Langkat, Central Tapanuli, South Tapanuli, and Sibolga.
In addition, part of the 30 tons of rice will also be distributed to Aceh, given its proximity to North Sumatra. On this occasion, Hasyimsyah expressed his gratitude for the assistance provided by Emirates Red Crescent through MDMC.
“For nearly three weeks, our brothers and sisters in three provinces in Sumatra have been affected by this disaster. We extend our sincere gratitude for the 30 tons of rice assistance from Emirates Red Crescent,” he said.
“Of course, as a da’wah based movement, Muhammadiyah must act responsively, swiftly and accurately, so that the trust placed in us through donations can be managed and delivered in the best possible way,” Hasyim concluded. (Bhisma) (Translated by Bintang Adrian).
