Banda Aceh, Aceh (ANTARA) - Aceh Province has received 10,000 tons of additional rice assistance from the National Food Agency (Bapanas) following devastating floods and landslides in the province since last November.
"We have received 10,000 tons of rice assistance from the central government. The rice will be distributed by Bulog (State Logistics Agency) to disaster-affected districts and cities," Surya Rayendra, the head of Aceh Food Office, stated on Saturday.
The latest rice assistance, received by the Aceh governor, will be supplied to districts and cities upon requests from the regional heads, he noted.
"The rice aid distribution will be carried out to several disaster-affected cities and districts urgently needing food supply for disaster victims," Rayendra said.
Meanwhile, he said the provincial authority had distributed 4,390 tons from its earlier stock of 6,298.4 tons of rice assistance, while the remaining 1,899 tons have yet to be distributed, as delivery requires formal requests from regional heads.
"The delivery has been done to 10 out of 18 disaster-affected districts and cities. We are yet to distribute the rice to the 8 other districts as we are still awaiting their requests," he stated.
The eight regions are Aceh Tamiang, North Aceh, East Aceh, Central Aceh, Bireuen, Gayo Lues, and Bener Meriah districts, as well as Lhokseumawe City.
Rayendra also noted that current rice stocks in Aceh stand at 80,000 tons, sufficient to last until June 2026. Nonetheless, he acknowledged the need to increase supplies in certain regions to replenish depleting stocks.
"We have sent five tons to replenish the stocks in Central Aceh by air," he said, adding that roads damaged by floods and landslides had hampered rice deliveries to several regions.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) reported that as of December 14, the deadly floods and landslides had killed 1,006 people, left 217 missing, and affected millions across 52 districts and cities in Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra.
