Anies Baswedan affirms vaccinating asylum seekers is humanitarian task

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Governor of Jakarta Anies Baswedan emphasized that vaccination for foreign refugees or asylum seekers stranded in the capital is a humanitarian task.

"I want to underline that this is a humanitarian task. The message is simple. We are not fully protected until everyone is protected. That is an important message. It's impossible for us to be fully protected, if not all of us are protected," the governor remarked after reviewing vaccinations for asylum seekers at the Bulungan Sports Center, South Jakarta, Thursday.

Baswedan expressed gratitude that the citizens of Jakarta also cared for refugees, so they could feel a sense of comfort and ease in the capital city.

The former minister of education and culture expressed optimism that the refugees would find peace during the COVID-19 pandemic after being vaccinated.

"We, Jakartans, should be grateful that we can protect our brothers and sisters of different nationalities who are refugees in our place, so that they can feel at ease," he remarked.

Baswedan lauded the UNHCR for its hard work so far to facilitate refugees.

"We thank the UNHCR. What it has been doing is extraordinary humanitarian work," he remarked.

Facilitating refugees is not a simple job but a complex task ranging from providing for basic needs to handling administrative papers.

Baswedan is sanguine that the initial vaccination drive for refugees would be a good start to completing the vaccination for around seven thousand of them in the capital.

"Today, there are around seven thousand refugees in Jakarta. Hopefully, this would be completed, so that in Jakarta, all can be protected," he remarked.

Head of the Jakarta Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin Jakarta) Diana Dewi stated that some 600 asylum seekers partook in the first stage of vaccination with the Sinopharm vaccine administered at the Bulungan Sports Center.

Recipients of the vaccine came from 13 countries: Afghanistan, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Yemen, Sudan, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Myanmar, Uganda and Congo.

Of the total number, 313 are from Afghanistan.