Antara News·Indonesia·Wednesday, October 21, 2026 at 01:35 AM UTC

EU sets US$224,500 aid to tackle drought in Indonesia

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Uyu Septiyati Liman

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The European Union (EU) has allocated €200,000 (approximately US$224,500) in emergency humanitarian aid to support Indonesian communities affected by severe and prolonged drought across several regions.

According to an official statement from the EU Delegation to Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam received here on Tuesday (Oct 20), the funding aims to secure safe water and mitigate imminent health risks for roughly 200,000 people in the hardest-hit areas.

The financial package will support the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) in distributing clean water through water tankers and pick-up vehicles, promoting hygiene, and supporting safe water collection and storage.

The relief initiative also covers the distribution of protective medical masks and the provision of oxygen concentrators to selected healthcare centers in regions where its air quality has deteriorated due to wildfire smoke and haze.

Months of significantly below-average rainfall across the archipelago have intensified arid conditions, triggering acute water shortages across parts of Java, Bali, Nusa Tenggara, Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi.

The extreme dry weather has heightened public-health risks, particularly rising cases of dehydration, heatstroke, and acute respiratory infections caused by smoke from recurring peatland and forest fires.

The grant is part of a broader €16 million (US$17.97 million) humanitarian contribution agreement between the European Commission and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to finance the federation's Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF).

Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) projected moderate-to-strong El Ninõ conditions will persist into early 2027.

The agency cautioned the onset of the annual monsoon season across much of the country will be delayed, with peak rainfall not anticipated until between December 2026 and February 2027.

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