Jakarta, The Indonesia Post – The government immediately sent logistical assistance to deal with the famine disaster in Amuma District, Yahukimo Regency, Papua Mountains, due to crop failure due to the extreme weather that hit the area.
“The Yahukimo Regency Government has declared emergency response status so that BNPB immediately stepped in to provide assistance. During this emergency response, we will send logistics and budget that can be used immediately,” said Head of BNPB Lt. Gen. TNI Suharyanto after a ministerial level meeting at the Coordinating Ministry for PMK, Jakarta, Wednesday.
Suharyanto said the aid that would be sent was in the form of 20 tons of rice, 10 thousand packs of ready-to-eat food, 10 thousand packs of protein biscuits, and an operational budget of IDR 1 billion.
According to him, this assistance was initial support. Later, BNPB will coordinate with the local government and the Ministry of Social Affairs regarding the need for other supporting goods.
“We are also preparing a plane to transport it. Because the terrain there is very difficult and from one point to another, one area to another, we can only use air routes,” he said.
Apart from famine, BNPB will also send aid to houses affected by landslides in Anggruk and Penggama Districts, Yahukimo Regency.
From temporary data, around 100 houses were affected by landslides in the two districts, consisting of 70 houses with light damage and 30 houses with heavy damage.
Houses that experience light damage will be given assistance of IDR 15 million per house, while houses with heavy damage will be given assistance of IDR 60 million per house.
Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy said that hunger was due to crop failure caused by the extreme weather that occurred in the Papua Mountain region. Meanwhile, landslides occurred due to high intensity rain since the end of August 2023.
“The victims affected by hunger were in 13 villages, with a population of 15 thousand people,” said Muhadjir.
Previously, famine due to crop failure also occurred in three districts, namely Agandugume, Lambewi and Oneri, Puncak Regency, Central Papua.
The phenomenon of frost and ice fog that hit the area made the tubers, which are the people’s staple food, rotten and could not be consumed. (mhn/bbs)
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