Medics sent to Irian Jaya

WAMENA, Irian Jaya: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has assigned a nutritionist, a doctor and two nurses for six months to help victims of drought in Jayawijaya, Puncak Jaya and Merauke districts, Antara reported.

Ferenc Meyer, head of ICRC's Indonesian chapter, was quoted as saying here Saturday he had appointed Alain Mourey, a nutritionist from Switzerland, to provide highly nutritious food (BP-5 Compact Food) to residents.

The team will be based in Timika. Apart from distributing the food, Mourey will examine potential plants to be cultivated by the people to solve the food shortage, Meyer said.

"The food aid from the ICRC is more effective and easy than rice for the locals because they have no experience cooking rice," he said.

The ICRC team will be here from Nov. 1 until May 1998. He said if there were any more serious problems, ICRC would extend its presence.