Food crisis, cholera claim 138 lives in Irian
JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of Social Services is currently checking into reports that over 100 people have died in Jayawijaya regency due to a food shortage and cholera.
Regent J.B. Wenas said casualties could be higher because many villages were located in remote areas which could not be monitored.
He said food supplies have been dwindling because the dry spell has since mid-August caused many plants to die and rivers to dry up.
As reported by Antara, 138 people have died due to cholera and a limited food supply.
"The minister of social services has asked us to provide her with reports on the development of the drought disaster in Jayapura regency," Wenas said.
Wenas claimed that the minister had approved a request for food relief, which would later be air-dropped to remote areas.
TVRI reported yesterday that Minister of Social Services Endang Kusuma Inten Soeweno, who was in Biak, said that 100 tons of rice was sent to Wamena.
Wenas himself said the regency's rice reserves were also low.
"We only have two tons of rice supply remaining, which planes have been having trouble transporting to remote areas due to the haze," he complained.
Wenas said a team of doctors had already been sent to the worst hit towns of Silimo, Pasema and Korupul to provide medical relief, adding that he had also requested the use of military helicopters to help transport food.
Many of the country's 27 provinces are facing the worst dry season in 50 years as the global El Nio weather phenomenon threatens to postpone rain for several months.
The drought conditions in Indonesia have been exacerbated by forest fires raging in the country, including in Irian Jaya, Sumatra and Kalimantan, where the much-awaited rainy season is predicted to come at the very earliest in two months' time.
Irian Jaya is the country's eastern-most province, about 3,600 kilometers from Jakarta.
A Social Services Ministry official said here yesterday that a team has been sent to study the severity of the crisis. (09/aan)