Bambang Muryanto, Yogyakarta – The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) has inked a deal to provide troubled Indonesian migrant workers (TKI) with humanitarian assistance overseas.

"If there is a TKI facing a problem abroad, the PMI will ask for help from the local Red Crescent, for example, to provide humanitarian aid," PMI chairman Jusuf Kalla said after signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Yogyakarta on Friday.

Kalla signed the MoU with National Agency for Overseas Labor Placement and Protection (BNP2TKI) chief Jumhur Hidayat during the opening ceremony of PMI's national working meeting, which has been slated to run until Saturday.

Kalla said that Indonesian migrant workers were at high risk, especially those working in conflict areas such the Middle East. Many troubled workers were in isolated areas where access to media or communications was limited, he added.

"If the PMI asks for help from the Red Crescent, they have an obligation to help for humanitarian reasons," Kalla said.

Jumhur said that the government was happy to work with the PMI, which currently has representatives in 160 countries, since there were workers in areas that the government could not reach, such as conflict zones.

There were currently around 6 million Indonesian migrant workers laboring in 142 countries, according to Jumhur. The TKI send home about Rp 100 trillion (US$10.3 billion) in remittances every year.

Jumhur said that the MoU would also provide aid to Indonesian migrant workers at home, ensuring that those in need would receive counselling and education on health and natural disaster preparedness.

Kalla added that the PMI would continue to cooperate with Indonesian embassies to protect the nation's migrant workers.

Another MoU was also signed on Friday by the PMI and the Indonesian Scout Movement (Pramuka) to quickly deploy scouts to disaster areas in times of need.

Pramuka chairman Azrul Ashar said that the MoU was aimed at strengthening the relationship between the PMI and Pramuka. "When united, both can move faster and this will be advantageous for the affected people."

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Yogyakarta Governor Sultan Hamengkubuwono X called on the PMI to continue its humanitarian work with sincerity as it aided those in need due to problems stemming from natural disasters, climate change and energy and food crises.