Sustained sustenance

Starvation is shameful in a modern civilized society. When food is wasted and rations left to rot in some parts of the country, it is painful to learn that hundreds of thousands of people could be deprived of nourishment in East Nusa Tenggara.

Reports from the province suggest that due to a drought its people are facing an extreme scarcity of food and water. Farmers who would have been harvesting their second crop have seen rice and corn fields dry up. Between 10 to 12 of the province's 18 regencies are reportedly experiencing crop failure.

Certain isolated districts are even more vulnerable if assistance is required in the coming weeks due to their remote locations and the complexities of transporting tons of rice in a short time.

While starvation has not set in, the warning signs are clear enough, that lethargy could cost lives.

The silver lining is that Jakarta was promptly made aware of the threat of famine. The situation has been prioritized by the government, in many respects, due to media coverage of it.

It would be shameful if, even after an early warning, we were to learn eight weeks from now that the people of East Nusa Tenggara were scrounging for sustenance.

While we appreciate the attention this issue has been accorded in Cabinet meetings over the past few days, the rather dismissive tones of certain local and high-ranking officials at the Office of the Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare have come as something of a disappointment.

Though their words may have been aimed at alleviating panic, they seem more belittling than reassuring.

"There's nothing to worry about. It's being taken care of," was one reported remark. "There's always (emergency) stocks at the provincial level ... which can easily be distributed. Tomorrow you can rest assured that the people there are well fed".

This coming from an official who a week after the tsunami disaster confidently proclaimed that no one was going hungry in Aceh.

The 50 tons of rice reserves in the province are intended for short-term relief after a natural disaster, and are insufficient to counter the famine that East Nusa Tenggara is facing.

It may be a case of perceiving whether a glass is half-full or half-empty, as that official once responded to criticism over the handling of Aceh relief.

But it is another thing, we fear, to perceive the glass as full while in fact it is completely empty.

We strongly urge officials to show greater empathy for the people who have conveyed that they are "suffering". From the gluttonous chambers of government the dispatch of rice may seem like regular business -- instructions on a piece of paper that needs to be signed, and orders for subordinates to be carried out. But to the "hungry" thousands, it is their sole lifeline.

For the longer term, the local government -- with vested powers from regional autonomy -- should work together with officials in Jakarta to take preventative measures.

Some areas of the province are known to be naturally more arid. Irrigation systems, the more careful selection of crops and the introduction of staples other than rice in locals' diets should also be considered. Technology and human ingenuity have reached a stage where farmers, even in unforgiving climates, are less dependent on seasonal changes.

To look up at the sky and hope for the best -- or to assume that the dry season will end according to the calendar -- is to put communities at jeopardy. Faith in divine kindness must be complemented with human endeavor.

The same goes for other notoriously arid farming areas across the country.

It is the duty of the central government and local administrations to introduce these initiatives. To teach farmers better ways to produce more reliable crops. To provide incentives and the necessary infrastructure to sustain productive yields.

Real support for our farmers would be one of the most necessary and beneficial long-term investments that this country could make. Not only would the welfare of farmers -- usually among the nation's poorest people -- be improved, but the quantity of agricultural crops gathered would increase, ensuring food security.

Prevention was one of the key political targets set by the New Order government. It should also be so for this administration. This country should not talk about modernization or industrialization if it cannot ensure that there is enough food to go around.

There is nothing more frightening than a mob of hungry people. There is nothing more calming than a public satiated and satisfied.