On February 19, Ambassador Robert Blake provided an additional $200,000 for logistical support as part of the ongoing emergency response to the Mount Sinabung eruptions in North Sumatra. The U.S. government is supporting operations and logistics through Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) as the agency continues to manage the emergency response to the Mt. Sinabung eruptions in Karo District, and assist affected populations. This funding is in addition to the $100,000 released on February 6 to provide critical supplies to those displaced in the aftermath of the eruptions. From the American people, this assistance will hopefully provide some comfort until those displaced from their homes can leave the evacuations centers. Through the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), this new contribution will support BNPB’s emergency logistics management of the Sinabung disaster. The assistance will be used to train and mentor BNPB staff, and ensure effective emergency relief response to the populations displaced by the eruptions.
