Govt vows to continue food relief operation to Irian

JAKARTA (JP): The government will continue its food-relief operation and supply more cassava flour to the drought-hit regencies in Irian Jaya, Minister of Social Services Inten Suweno said yesterday.

The minister said 143,604 Irianese were still facing a shortage of food in the remote provinces and famine would continue because the villagers would probably not be able to harvest for another three months.

Inten said the government was very serious about helping the people in the drought affected areas because 673 people had died from drought-related illnesses there.

Most of them lived in the mountainous areas of the Jayawijaya, Merauke, Puncak Jaya and Timika regencies.

"We have sent 12.5 tons of tiwul meal (made from cassava) to Jayawijaya regency," Inten said after meeting with President Soeharto at his residence on Jl. Cendana, Central Jakarta.

Soeharto acknowledged that Irianese would probably prefer to eat sweet potato daily rather than cassava but hinted that cassava was commonly consumed in dry places.

"Dry tiwul lasts for six months ... If we provide them rice they will soon be hungry again," Inten said.

State Minister of National Development Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita said last month that the government had spent Rp 200 billion (about US$33 million) in 1997 on relief operations to Irian Jaya.

However, 80 percent of the funds went on transportation costs due to the geographical situations of the affected areas, he said.

"We will teach local inhabitants to make food from tiwul," Inten said yesterday.

Soeharto has long been promoting cassava, saying it is a healthy food.

After inspecting rice depots last month in Jakarta he invited journalists to a cassava breakfast at his residence.

"It is not right to send them rice because they (the Irianese) are not used to eating it," Soeharto said before taking a 10-day rest last month. (prb)