Enviro News Asia, Jakarta — At dawn on Monday, December 8, 2025, a Hercules aircraft transported humanitarian aid from the Jakarta State University of National Development (UPN Veteran Jakarta) to Banda Aceh. From the departure apron, five members of the UPNVJ Disaster Response Team were also deployed to join humanitarian workers in the province, which has been hit by severe floods and landslides. Syiah Kuala University serves as the main coordination point for receiving the aid.
In the courtyard of the UPNVJ campus, the send-off ceremony unfolded modestly yet emotionally charged. The Vice Rector for Student Affairs, Dr. Ria Maria Theresa, SpKJ., MH., expressed the university community’s grief and solidarity. “This disaster has left deep wounds. The assistance we are sending cannot replace what the people of Aceh have lost. But compassion is our way of standing beside our brothers and sisters there,” she said.
Ria emphasized that the aid package sent was not limited to basic necessities. UPNVJ also deployed volunteers—health workers, field assistants, and personnel assigned to support public kitchens and evacuation centers. Until December 10, the university continues to receive donations from the public and maintains coordination with the Disaster Task Force at Syiah Kuala University to ensure that assistance is distributed accurately and sustainably.
The five volunteers sent to Aceh are led by M. Ikhsan Amar, M.Kes., who serves as field coordinator. They will strengthen medical services, provide psychosocial support, and help run public kitchens in affected areas.
Several university officials attended the send-off: Desmawati, PhD, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences; Dr. Ahmad Ahsin Thohari, Head of the Bureau of Planning, Finance, and General Affairs; and Satria Yudhia W., MS.Ak, Head of the Quality Assurance and Learning Development Institute. The volunteers were released with a brief yet firm message from Ria: “Thank you to the Research and Community Service Institute (LPPM), all donors, and the entire academic community who moved swiftly. This act of solidarity shows that UPN Veteran Jakarta does not stand alone—we are united with the people of Aceh.”
The deployment of logistical aid and volunteers marks UPNVJ’s commitment as a “defense university”—present not only as an educational institution but also as part of a wider network of solidarity supporting the recovery of disaster-affected communities. (www.upnvj.ac.id)
