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Drought-induced famine kills six in Central Papua
Cold weather and a lack of rain have killed the taro and yam plants grown in two districts in Puncak regency, Central Papua, forcing residents to eat the spoiled crops and causing their health to deteriorate further.
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Officials and volunteers carry humanitarian aid packages for famine victims from an airplane in Puncak Jaya regency, Central Papua on Wednesday, July 26, 2023. (Antara/HO/Kemensos)
An extended period of drought in Central Papua has been blamed for a famine that has killed six residents and left thousands scrambling for food.
At least two districts in Puncak regency have faced a food crisis since early June due to prolonged drought-induced crop failure. Around 7,500 people in Agandugume and Lambewi districts have been affected as of Sunday, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB). Six people, namely five adults and a baby have died with the cause thought to be dehydration and diarrhea.
Cold weather and a lack of rain has killed the taro and yam grown in the region, forcing residents to eat the spoiled crops, said Puncak Regent Willem Wandik to kompas.id last week. Some residents who had consumed the spoiled tubers had become sick with diarrhea.
Unlike most areas in tropical Indonesia, the Puncak region, meaning “peak” in Indonesian, is often hit by cold temperatures, dropping below 0 degrees Celsius due to its location 1,400 meters above sea level. The regency is located on Jayawijaya, the country’s tallest mountain range.
Some residents walked for two days from Agandugume to its closest neighbor Sinak district to get food supplies, but the long walk deteriorated their health further.
