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Govt responds swiftly to starving residents in NTT
In the wake of reports of people reduced to eating animal feed following harvest failures, Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa flew to East Nusa Tenggara on Wednesday to distribute food
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n the wake of reports of people reduced to eating animal feed following harvest failures, Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa flew to East Nusa Tenggara on Wednesday to distribute food.
During the visit to the districts of Kualin and Amanuban Selatan in Timor Tengah Selatan regency, Khofifah handed out aid in the form of 24 tons of rice, 12 sacks of dried fish, 800 boxes of instant noodles, 24 boxes of soy sauce and 21 boxes of cooking oil.
The minister's visit, she said, was on the orders of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, who was very concerned about reports of people in dire need of food.
"During a Cabinet meeting, [the President] assigned the social affairs minister to come here. Last night, he phoned me to check the food supply was adequate," Khofifah said on Wednesday as quoted by kompas.com.
Harvest failures in the area are said to have forced local residents to consume lontar trunks, which are usually fed to cattle.
Meanwhile, the Agriculture Ministry and Public Works and Public Housing Ministry have said they will help settle farming activities in the region by building wells, dams and irrigation networks. (hhr)(+++)
