Flooding kills one in Papua

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura

Keerom regency and Jayapura city have been virtually underwater since Saturday, with one fatality recorded so far and hundreds of homes inundated.

In Keerom regency, some 65 kilometers east of Jayapura city, the capital of Papua province, the area under water was still expanding on Monday after torrential rain fell on Saturday and Sunday.

As of Monday, people in the Arso and Skanto districts, which were the hardest hit by the floods, were still sheltering in safer places as their homes had been inundated by water of up to one meter deep. Local officials estimated that at least 250 homes in the area had been flooded.

The floodwaters were also affecting public facilities such as schools, places of worship and community health centers, and have washed away crops in many areas.

Yusuf Wally, the acting regent of Keerom, said that the Keerom regency government was helping to evacuate people from the worst- affected areas, and was also distributing emergency food aid, including instant noodles and palm oil. He put the value of the aid at Rp 160 million (US$ 17,777).

He said that the government had yet to fully assess the damage caused by the floods.

The only fatality caused by the inundations so far was a child, Anisa Tamnge, 2, who was swept away by a surging river near her home in Jayapura.