Kahf Delivers Health Aid to Residents of Kalimantan Amid the Haze

In Palangka Raya, thick haze turns the morning sky as dim as dusk. For people living there, what weighs on them most is not the view. It is the tightness in their chests, the sting in their eyes, and the children who have started to cough.

Through a series of real actions by Kahf Kalimantan, Kahf supports the government's efforts to address the impact of the haze, while helping protect the health of affected residents and volunteers. In its latest step, Kahf and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia delivered health aid consisting of 50 oxygen cylinders with their equipment, 1,200 hoses and nebulizers, and 11,000 N95 masks to support health services for affected residents in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan.

Health Conditions in Kalimantan Amid the Haze

Indonesia's Ministry of Health recorded a surge in acute respiratory infections (ARI) across Kalimantan: 165,747 cases in West Kalimantan from 1 January to early August 2026, 18,423 cases in South Kalimantan, and more than 3,000 cases in Central Kalimantan in a single week, 10 to 16 August (Ministry of Health, 26 August 2026).

On 18 October 2026, the Ministry instructed all community health centers (puskesmas) in affected areas to open oxygen rooms and stock up on medicines, sent an additional 500,000 masks to each affected province, and mobilized integrated health post (Posyandu) services to visit homes for children, pregnant women, and the elderly. Residents were advised to stay indoors while the smoke is thick.

Fine PM2.5 particles in smoke are small enough to reach the deepest parts of the lungs. Those most at risk are children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with asthma or lung disease.

Haze Health Aid for Palangka Raya Residents

Oxygen cylinders, nebulizers, and N95 masks are among the most pressing needs in the haze. That is why the aid was handed to the Ministry of Health, so it can flow through existing health services and reach the residents who need it most.
• 50 oxygen cylinders with their equipment
• 1,200 hoses and nebulizers
• 11,000 N95 masks

This aid comes from care for what residents and volunteers on the ground are facing. The hope is simple: to support health services and ease some of the burden on our brothers and sisters who have been affected.

A Series of Actions Since August 2026

The health aid in Palangka Raya is not the first step. Since August 2026, Kahf has been moving forward with several partners, namely Rumah Zakat, Inisiatif Zakat Indonesia (IZI), Baitulmaal Muamalat (BMI), and Kalaweit Foundation, in West and Central Kalimantan:

• 26 August 2026: with Rumah Zakat, delivered personal protective equipment (PPE) and 100 rolls of fire hoses to the West Kalimantan Firefighters Association in Kubu Raya, to support the safety and operational needs of firefighters.
• 2 September 2026: delivered clean water, masks, and vitamins to residents in Kubu Raya, West Kalimantan.
• 3 September 2026: provided drinking water and health services to residents in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan.
• 18 September 2026: with Kalaweit Foundation, provided fire patrol vehicles and forest monitoring transport in North Barito, Central Kalimantan, to support patrol team mobility and fire preparedness.
• 9 October 2026: through the employee initiative Paragonian Bergerak, 12,500 KN95 masks were distributed to residents and students in Palangka Raya.

Each step answers a different need: protection for firefighters on the front line, residents' basic needs, health services, and forest monitoring. All of it is done together, because no one should have to face the haze alone.

Moving Forward Into Recovery

The needs of residents and firefighters do not end when the emergency subsides. Kahf and its partners continue to monitor the situation on the ground as the basis for preparing the next round of support, including during the recovery period.
"Together with our partners, we continue to study the needs on the ground as the basis for preparing further assistance, including during the recovery period," said Astri Wahyuni, Director of Corporate Affairs, ParagonCorp.

How to Prevent Respiratory Infections From Smoke

Health science is the most practical way to look out for one another. The guide below summarizes advice from Indonesia's Ministry of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for people in smoke-affected areas:

1. Limit outdoor activity, especially for infants, toddlers, the elderly, and pregnant women. If something needs doing outside, ask a family member who is not in a vulnerable group, and check the air quality index on an official app.
2. Keep indoor air clean. Choose a room that can be sealed, close off openings that let outside air in, and use an air purifier if available. Avoid smoking or burning candles or incense indoors.
3. Wear the right mask. If you must go out, use a respirator such as an N95 that fits tightly on your face. According to the CDC, surgical masks, cloth masks, and bandanas do not protect enough against smoke. For children, staying indoors comes first; if they need a mask, choose one that fits snugly from nose to chin.
4. Clean up after being outside. Shower and change clothes, since smoke particles can cling to skin, hair, and clothing and irritate the eyes and skin.
5. Support family members with health conditions, such as asthma, lung disease, or heart disease. Follow the care plan from their health worker and make sure routine medication is on hand.
6. Know the symptoms and warning signs. Do not ignore a cough, eye irritation, or itching that will not go away; get checked at a community health center. Seek medical help right away for severe shortness of breath or chest pain. In children, watch for severe shortness of breath, unusual weakness or drowsiness, and refusing to eat or drink.

In an emergency, go to the nearest health facility or call the emergency number 119. For more health information: Halo Kemenkes 1500-567.

The health information on this page is general and does not replace an examination by a health professional.

Looking Out for One Another

Looking out for our brothers and sisters can be as simple as making sure the people around us can still breathe easy. Kahf stands alongside health workers, firefighters, volunteers, and residents who look out for one another. We will keep moving forward with them, because brotherhood lives through real, meaningful action and solutions that do good.

This step continues an earlier path: Masjid Al-Kahf in East Nusa Tenggara, welcomed by both Muslim and Christian residents, and Jembatan Berkahf, the bridge that connects residents of Lebak and Sukabumi. All of them are part of one movement, #LangkahBerdampak.

#LangkahBerdampak #JalanYangKuPilih

Kahf with the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, Rumah Zakat, Inisiatif Zakat Indonesia, Baitulmaal Muamalat, and Kalaweit Foundation | West Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan