Thousands Of Papuans Starving

Transled from Bahasa Indonesia

http://www.sinarharapan.co.id/content/read/ribuan-warga-papua-kelaparan/

Writer: Ruhut Ambarita
IAKARTA - Thousands of residents, at least in three districts in Intan Jaya regency, Papua, reportedly threatened with starvation. Bad weather in recent months has destroyed crops and causing food crises residents. Assistance from the government is still hampered costs.

Three Intan Jaya district in the District reported that its citizens by community and church council to the district is experiencing hunger Homeyo District, District Wandai, and the District Hitadipa.

When contacted SH from Jakarta, Tuesday (22/11) evening, John Cutts social volunteers who had arrived in Nabire of Intan Jaya district, many residents expressed hunger. John said residents complained of experiencing such conditions since the last five months.

"I am with my own eyes, saw them, the children are underweight, have been red hair," said John, who lives in Papua since 1954. Intan Jaya residents, according to John, had never experienced such bad weather that occurred in recent months.

Plants are grown people to be consumed, such as sweet potatoes and vegetables, the garden was destroyed due to heavy rains from the sky so high Intan Jaya district in recent months. "I had gone into the garden (residents and see) sweet potatoes rot in the ground," said John.

He said the rain was already three-week halt, but the bad weather for months has destroyed crops. The food crisis is inevitable. In fact, he said, people need food to grow crops again.

John said residents in the District of Intan Jaya is now in dire need of food aid. He, with the help of individuals and institutions, among them Love Foundation Donor Indonesia, has sent 10 tons of rice, instant noodles, cooking oil, milk and soybeans. He heard, government assistance as much as 3 tonnes of rice still stuck in Nabire.

Contacted separately, Intan Jaya District Secretary David Setiawan, said the government has sent a team to check into the areas that residents reported experiencing a food crisis since two weeks ago. However, he said, there has been no report came from the team.

"Hunger has not, still the symptoms," he said. According to David, the food crisis that hit residents Intan Jaya alone is not only due to bad weather, but people today are not the focus of work on the farm.

David explained, the number of residents per district Intan Jaya in March 2011 as many as 84,445 inhabitants. Sugapa district has a population of 19,285 souls, 16,755 souls Homeyo District, District 9991 Wandai soul, District Biandoga 16,861, 11,058 souls Agisiga District, and District Hitadipa 12 495 inhabitants.

Head of Health and Social Intan Jaya Sani said Yacob, state residents have been reported to the mayor, along with the proposal in August 2011. "At that time, Mr. Regent said that because there is no data and documents, so as not to seriously respond to the problem," he said.

Yacob said the government had sent three tons of rice aid, but until now still stuck in Nabire. "We can not be distributed because it requires a huge cost," he said. The cost of the cheapest charter flight USD 26 million.

Until now, Yacob said, the government does not have data on the population in the District of Intan Jaya who experience hunger, as has been reported to community leaders and the church council to the government. Head of the six districts in Intan Jaya has yet to report.

http://www.sinarharapan.co.id/content/read/ribuan-warga-papua-kelaparan/

ENDS

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