Over 116,000 face starvation

BANDA ACEH, Aceh: A senior local official reported yesterday that 116,252 people in Indonesia's westernmost province were facing starvation because of continuing drought.

Djoko Santoso from the local social ministry office told Antara that the drought, which started late last year, had caused this year's harvests to fail.

The worst affected areas are in the North, Central and East Aceh regencies where about 74,800 families are facing food shortages, Djoko said.

Other areas where food shortages have been forecast are in the regencies of Southeast Aceh, Pidie, West Aceh, Aceh Besar and South Aceh.

"We have asked the central government to supply more rice to help us cope with the worsening situation," he said. (pan)