Chopper to help relief operations in Jayawijaya
JAKARTA (JP): An Armed Forces' Bell 412 arrived in Irian Jaya over the weekend to help distribute relief supplies to the famine-stricken Jayawijaya regency.
The helicopter was transported to the easternmost province from Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base here by a Hercules, along with tons of airplane fuel and food relief donated by Armed Forces Commander Gen. Feisal Tanjung.
Antara reported that the aircraft was also carrying additional food relief donated by the Army chief of staff Gen. Wiranto.
The military chopper will supplement the relief operations being conducted by two planes and a helicopter provided by the Mission Aviation Fellowship, Advent Christian Foundation, and mining giant PT Freeport Indonesia.
Another helicopter, a Puma, was deployed by the Irian Jaya Military Command. The command will reportedly send doctors to the regency's remote villages plagued by various drought-related illnesses.
The number of drought-related deaths in the Jayawijaya regency has reached 416 since August, with cholera and malaria blamed for the deaths of undernourished villagers.
Jayawijaya Regent J.B. Wenas said over the weekend he was hopeful that newly provided air transportation would facilitate the distribution of relief to even the remotest areas.
A great amount of relief had reportedly arrived but was stockpiled in Wamena, the regency's capital, due to the absence of air transportation as well as air traffic difficulties associated with the haze.
"We have been relying on a Cessna and the Freeport's chopper, which has a very limited cargo capacity," Wenas was quoted as saying by Antara.
He described how thick smoke from forest fires in the mountainous regency had hampered the airlifting of food and medical supplies.
The chief of Irian Jaya Military Command, Maj. Gen. Johnny Lumintang, confirmed that relief had indeed been hampered by the smoke.
This year's prolonged dry season, which started in March, is threatening at least 90,000 villagers in the Jayawijaya regency.
About 500 people have died in Jayawijaya and in the neighboring regencies of Puncak Jaya and Merauke since August.
Kompas said yesterday that there had been 23 deaths in Merauke and 24 in Puncak Jaya. But Antara reported that 60 have died in Merauke and seven in Puncak Jaya. Wenas could not be reached for comment yesterday.
The drought, which has wiped out much of the local yam crop, has put Jayawijaya, a regency with a population of about 500,000, under threat of dire food shortages, it was reported.
The locals' dependence on yam has left them vulnerable and the resulting malnutrition has weakened their resistance to disease. (aan)