REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, MAGELANG -- The Magelang Vegetable Farmers group will send their crops to the floods and landslide victims in Kudus, Central Java, as humanitarian aid.
"Around 3 thousand people who are generally vegetable farmers in Mount Merapi area have gathered their crops to help victims of natural disasters in Kudus," stated the action coordinator for Kudus disasters victims John Yulianto, prior to the delivery of the aid in Magelang, on Monday.
Approximately six tons of humanitarian aid, in the form of vegetables, will be sent to Kudus and the surrounding areas from the region of Mount Merapi to the disaster site by truck.
The farmers' group has been coordinating with local churches to manage the aid distribution.
The crop aid had been gathered at the Parish Church of Santa Maria Lourdes of Sumber village, Magelang district since Sunday, Jan 26.
"Since Sunday, Jan 26, the residents gathered their crops for this humanitarian action, including five 500 quintals of rice harvest," stated Yulianto, a local resident.
Yuliyanto pointed out that the action was to create awareness of the plight of local farmers who are facing tough times due to natural disasters.
"We are doing this because we have experienced the same thing when Mount Merapi erupted in 2010, when it was followed by a flood of lava, which poses a threat even today. Assistance came to us at that time from everywhere. Now we feel similar concern for the disaster affected community elsewhere," he pointed out.
Currently, prices of various staple foods, including a variety of vegetables, in the affected areas in Kudus are quite high.
Yuliyanto expects that the Merapi farmers' assistance with a supply of vegetables will ease the burden on those who are facing the consequences of natural disasters.
Leaders of Sumber village's Santa Maria Lourdes Parish Church Father Joseph Trisumartono Nugroho added that the church has coordinated with the leaders of several churches in Kudus and associated itself with the distribution of aid to victims of floods and landslides in the local area.
"We got the information that the Parish Church of Kudus and surrounding areas such as Juwana and Pati have put up humanitarian posts. Further distribution is then managed by the local volunteer," he explained.
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