JBPM Completes Food Airlift Mission To Remote Areas In Gua Musang

GUA MUSANG, Jan 19 (Bernama) -- The Air Unit of the Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) today completed its operation of delivering a total of 582 food baskets weighing over 10.8 tonnes to Orang Asli communities in remote areas in Gua Musang.

JBPM Air Divisions Operations Management Branch head Mohd Ruzaidi Ramlee said the food supplies were delivered using an MI-17-IV helicopter belonging to the JBPM Air Unit from the Central Region Air Base, Subang, Selangor, and carried out by 22 personnel.

He added that the two-day operation, which began yesterday, involved eight flights to five remote Orang Asli areas, whose land routes had been severely damaged by the Northeast Monsoon.

"Five flights yesterday delivered over 6.6 tonnes of supplies to seven villages in Pos Simpor, Pos Bihai, Pos Belatim and Pos Gob. Three more flights today delivered over 4.1 tonnes of supplies to two villages in Pos Balar,” he said today. 

Meanwhile, Kelantan and Terengganu JAKOA director Mohd Faedzyal Mohamed said the food aid airlift operation began on Jan 6, with a preliminary delivery of 383 food bags weighing 6,894 kilogrammes (kg) before being suspended.

He added that a total of 3,824 Orang Asli in 43 remote villages around Gua Musang had benefited from the operation, with over 17 tonnes of food baskets delivered by air throughout the monsoon season. 

On Jan 9, an operation to airlift over 17 tonnes of basic food supplies to remote areas was suspended due to bad weather after the land routes were severely damaged by the Northeast Monsoon.

-- BERNAMA