UNDIP, Pauh (December 14, 2025) – As part of strengthening humanitarian response efforts, the Nutrition Response Team of the Second D-DART UNDIP Volunteer Group conducted cross-institutional coordination to ensure that the nutritional needs of vulnerable groups affected by the disaster are met. Together with teams from Universitas Andalas (UNAND) and the Indonesian Nutritionists Association (Persagi), the team visited the Pauh Community Health Center (Puskesmas Pauh) in Padang City on Saturday, December 13, 2025, to coordinate with catering providers and local health cadres. The visit aimed to ensure the readiness of the PMBA (Infant and Young Child Feeding) kitchen and the proximity of targeted beneficiaries to the Disaster Nutrition program.
The coordination resulted in an agreement that PMBA activities in the Pauh area would begin on Monday, December 15, 2025, targeting 75 toddlers. Each toddler will receive two main meals and one snack per day for 15 days. Distribution will involve synergy among health cadres, UNAND students, the UNDIP Disaster Nutrition Team, and nearby residents, serving as a form of local community empowerment in post-disaster recovery efforts.
Earlier, on Friday, December 12, 2025, the UNDIP Disaster Nutrition Team and the UNAND Team held an initial coordination at Kuto Alam Community Health Center and SD Negeri 5, which are currently serving as evacuation shelters. Coordination was conducted with Nutrition Implementing Officers (TPG), health cadres, and local early childhood education (PAUD) teachers. During the meeting, the teams conveyed the purpose, objectives, and technical implementation of the Disaster Nutrition activities. Full support was provided, including the willingness of various parties to actively participate in executing the program.
The team was also assisted in identifying potential locations for the PMBA kitchen and accommodation for team members near the evacuation site. However, field assessments showed that no locations met the required standards of cleanliness, safety, and feasibility. Based on this, the PMBA kitchen and team lodging were relocated from Kuto Alam to Lubuk Basung, which was deemed more suitable due to its cleaner and safer public kitchen facilities.
To strengthen cross-sector coordination, the team then conducted an audience with the Agam District Health Office and met with the Head of Public Health, Ira, along with the nutrition staff. Discussions highlighted full support from the Agam District Health Office, which expressed readiness to assist, including in supervising the Disaster Nutrition activities.
In addition to toddler beneficiaries, the program also includes Supplementary Feeding (PMT) for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. A total of 50 pregnant and breastfeeding women will receive PMT for the same duration—15 days—as part of efforts to safeguard maternal health and support optimal child development.
Through this initiative, UNDIP and its strategic partners affirm that disaster response should not only focus on emergency response but also on long-term investment in adequate nutrition for future generations. This action is a concrete manifestation of the tagline ‘Noble and Valuable UNDIP’—standing with the community through well-planned, collaborative, and impactful solutions. (Public Communication/UNDIP/D-DART Volunteer Team 2 & DHW)
