JAKARTA – The palm oil industry players grouped in the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI) have shown their social role and empathy to the victims of landslides and flooding in Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra provinces, through a humanitarian initiative called “GAPKI Peduli” (GAPKI Cares). In collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan), GAPKI delivered the humanitarian aids to residents affected by the floods and landslides caused by extreme rainfalls as a result of tropical cyclone in those three provinces.
During a ceremony seeing off the departure of the aids-loaded trucks, Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman emphasized that “gotong royong” (support and sustain each other) is a concrete manifestation of the nation’s humanitarian values. “Solidarity is not a ceremony, but rather a moral calling of the nation,” he said.
Regarding the aids, only within one hour a call for donations realized in a total amount of Rp 75.85 billion, mostly in the form of basic necessities, food, and emergency supplies. The aid was immediately processed and delivered using 207 trucks on Thursday (December 4).
Since Thursday morning, the courtyard of ministry of agriculture was filled with hundreds of trucks assigned to transport the supplies for disaster-affected residents. In the midst of rain that was still hitting Jakarta as a result of lingering cyclone, a convoy of hundreds of trucks departed for Tanjung Priok seaport before being shipped to evacuation sites in Sumatra.
Among the hundreds of trucks, two special trucks carried aids from GAPKI, containing ready-to-consume foods and beverages to help meet the residents’ basic needs.
GAPKI Secretary General, M. Hadi Sugeng, also attended the ceremony seeing off the dispatch of the aid fleet. “Hopefully, the aid GAPKI has sent can ease the grief of our brothers and sisters who were impacted by the natural disaster,” he said.
The sharp increase in rainfall triggered by Tropical Cyclone Senyar has caused severe flooding, landslides, and infrastructure damage in several coastal areas of Sumatra. Thousands of residents had been displaced as a result, while road access and logistical supplies were cut off since last weekend.
The large-scale mobilization of aid is strong evidence of the continued solidarity between the government, the business world, and the community amidst the increasing frequency of extreme weather.
Besides sending aid through the Ministry of Agriculture, the GAPKI central executive board has also instructed all branches in Indonesia to take similar steps. The rapid response was particularly evident from branches in Sumatra, which immediately:
- collected data of victims,
- set up emergency posts and tents,
- deployed field teams,
- and delivered aid directly to affected areas.
This swift social service has shown how the palm oil industry players respond to emergencies and emphasized the sector’s contribution to humanity and community resilience.
The convoy of 207 trucks traveling from Jakarta did not only carry aids, but also hope. The hope that those aids would ease the burden of thousands of residents struggling to rebuild their lives after the natural disaster.
The realization of the “GAPKI Peduli” has become one of the largest humanitarian mobilizations in recent years, demonstrating that the palm oil industries are not only focused on the economy but also on humanity and social sustainability. (*)
