Chopper to help relief operations in Jayawijaya
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)