Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Embassy in Bratislava handed out the second phase of relief packages to Indonesians reeling from the impact of the new coronavirus pandemic in Slovakia.
The relief packages, comprising rice, instant noodles, sugar, cooking oil, egg, canned food, and masks, were handed out to 15 Indonesians constituting 12 migrant workers and three students partaking in the student exchange program, the embassy noted in a written statement released on Saturday.
The aid was offered to ensure that the Indonesians have sufficient food stocks during the COVID-pandemic, especially during the current holy month of Ramadhan, according to the embassy.
The Slovak government continues to enforce a lockdown policy to stem the spread of the new coronavirus that has disrupted most economic activities in the country.
The lockdown has led to a reduction in the work hours of Indonesian migrant workers, especially those employed in the service sector. Consequently, their monthly wages are affected since they are calculated on the basis of the number of working hours.
Furthermore, the embassy has helped to repatriate 10 Indonesians. In the near future, the embassy will also help repatriate three other Indonesians studying at a local university.
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Earlier, the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra, the Australian Capital Territory, also disbursed 80 relief packages to Indonesian nationals under the second phase of an aid program to help those bearing the brunt of the new coronavirus pandemic.
The aid packages, comprising several staple food items, including rice, cooking oil, canned food, biscuits, and instant noodles, were distributed on May 12-13, 2020, the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra noted in a press statement on Thursday.
The first phase of the relief program was conducted from April 16 to April 22.
The aid program aims to help Indonesians, who remain strong in the face of an uncertain future amid the Australian Government's imposition of social restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19.
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