KLIK SAJA - The Indonesian government has once again demonstrated its genuine concern for the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Palestine.
In a concrete act of solidarity, Indonesia is preparing to send 10,000 tons of rice as humanitarian aid to Palestinians who continue to live under the heavy strain of Israel’s blockade.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs and Food Security, Zulkifli Hasan, announced that the aid shipment would be dispatched as soon as possible, with a target delivery date set for June 2025.
"The 10,000 tons of rice for Palestine will, God willing, be delivered by our military. They will send the rice directly to Palestine," said Zulkifli, who is commonly known as Zulhas, on Thursday (June 12, 2025).
However, the path to delivering this humanitarian aid is not without obstacles.
The main challenge lies in the strict blockade imposed by Israel on Gaza, which has severely hampered international humanitarian efforts, including those from Indonesia.
Zulkifli acknowledged that the government is still assessing the most feasible route to deliver the aid, potentially through Jordan or other neighboring countries with access to Palestine. "Our military will sail there—but to where exactly? Jordan or directly to Palestine?" he remarked.
The Israeli blockade remains a major barrier in distributing essential aid.
The Israeli government claims the restrictions are necessary to prevent weapons from being smuggled into the hands of Hamas.
Yet, this policy also blocks urgently needed humanitarian assistance from reaching innocent civilians.
Even the United Nations by UNRWA has faced significant difficulties gaining access to the Gaza Strip due to these restrictions.
On the domestic front, Indonesia currently holds an abundant rice stockpile. According to Perum Bulog, the national logistics agency, Indonesia's rice reserves have reached an unprecedented 4 million tons—the largest in the agency's history.
Of that total, 2.4 million tons come from domestic production, while the remainder is leftover stock from last year, largely sourced from imports.
While this surplus is a notable achievement, it also presents challenges.
