The Indonesian government has prepared 15 medical personnel from the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) to embark on a humanitarian mission to the Gaza Strip.
These 15 medical personnel are part of a 25-person team that will be deployed in the first batch to a United Arab Emirates-owned floating hospital based in El Arish, Egypt, before being transferred to Rafah. The aim is to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people.
This was announced by Major General Ujang Darwis, director general of defense strategy at the Defense Ministry.
“After the initial 15 personnel have safely arrived at the field hospital in Rafah, we will send another 15 to replace them at the floating hospital in El Arish,” Darwis reported to Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto during a pre-departure briefing on Wednesday.
The first group is scheduled to depart on Friday morning, August 9, 2024.
Hence, a total of 40 health personnel will be dispatched for the humanitarian mission in El Arish and Gaza, provided the transfer from El Arish to Rafah goes smoothly. The personnel, who include four women officers, belong to the three branches of the TNI.
In his report, Darwis said that the floating hospital at El Arish is a gathering point for health personnel seeking to enter Gaza on a humanitarian mission. It is also the closest point to the Rafah crossing in southern Gaza.
The director general affirmed that, as he observed during an earlier visit to the El Arish floating hospital, the medical officers will enjoy access to complete facilities during their deployment.
“Facilities there are complete. They have free laundry, a gym, and a volleyball court that health officers can use to maintain their physical health,” he said.
He further noted that the 40 personnel underwent pre-departure training for 5 days at the TNI’s Peacekeeping Mission Center (PMPP) in Bogor district, West Java.