Govt to study reported famine

Govt to study reported famine

JAKARTA (JP): The Kutai administration in East Kalimantan
promised yesterday to investigate reports that villagers were
starving in Long Pahangai district after crop failure because of
this year's extended dry season, Antara reported.

Regency spokesman Syafrudin said a team would be sent to the
district, situated 300 kilometers west of Tenggarong, the capital
of Kutai.

"We'll check whether the reports are true. If they are, the
administration is ready to send food supplies to the famine-
stricken area," he said.

According to the news agency, several residents reported that
dozens of families had started to experience food shortages
because of crop failure and had started eating cassavas.

The report said the lack of rain had caused the volume of
water in rivers to drop by 70 percent.

The rivers are the main transportation in the East Kalimantan
hinterland.

But H.A. Sofyan Alex, the head of the provincial agricultural
official, doubted there was a famine.

"Even if there were really reports about starvation, may be
they were just isolated cases affecting some residents," he said.

He said he doubted dozens of families were affected because of
the Dayak tribe's resourcefulness and tradition of storing rice
in both communal and individual rice barns. (09)