The National Board of Zakat (BAZNAS) will send volunteers and medical team to Asmat District, Papua on Thursday (18/1) night. The three-person team was deployed to overcome the measles and malnutrition outbreaks in Nakai Village, Pulau Tiga District and Agats City, Papua Province.

"Insyaallah, we will leave tonight with medicines and food, we ask for the support to help our brothers in Asmat," said Chairman of BAZNAS Crisis Center, Doctor Meizi Fachrizal Achmad during a press conference in Jakarta on Thursday (18/1) afternoon.

According to the Director of Rumah Sehat BAZNAS (BAZNAS Healthy House) Indonesia, the team will conduct an assessment for a week in Asmat and later, BAZNAS will send another team to stay for six months in Asmat.

"Do not let the measles case causes death," he said.

Previously, BAZNAS had built a Crisis Center to respond to any plaints that occurred in the community and had designed programs to respond to disasters in Asmat. 

BAZNAS Commisioner Nana Mintarti explained that BAZNAS will release responsive programs as well as a long-term program for Asmat. According to her, the team that will be sent to Asmat will also educate the local community about health.

Nana opined that the outbreak is due to habits, education, understanding or knowledge of the local community about health. "This is what will BAZNAS educate while we are providing nutritious foods especially for toddlers, so we are hoping that the nutritional level of the toddlers get better as well," she said.

Meanwhile, BAZNAS Director of National Zakat Distribution and Utilization Coordination, Planning, Development, Education and Training, Mohd Nasir Tajang said that BAZNAS went directly to Asmat because malnutrition and measles cases had caused dozens of children died and BAZNAS sees this as a grief of Nation.

"We will try our best and be there until the Asmat society’s problems resolved," said Nasir.

(Source: republika.co.id | Transl: Ulfah/Ed: Amelya)