TNI sends relief to drought-hit residents in Central Papua

“The Habema Joint Operations Command received information several days ago that three sub-districts in Puncak District were facing food and water shortages. We suspect the crisis is related to El Nino,” Habema Joint Operations Command’s Territorial Task Force Commander Brigadier Generla Stefie Jantje Nuhujanan said here on Friday.

The three regions affected by the drought are Agandugume, Oneri, and Lambewi. As residents there suffered from crop failure, they also faced a temperature drop to 2-9 Celsius degrees due to El Nino.

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As part of the ongoing relief operation, the Habema Command is providing two tonnes of essential food supplies; including rice, flour, instant noodles, milk, sugar, biscuits, and other staple items.

The Indonesian military is also delivering medicines and dispatching medical personnel to assist residents in the affected areas. The assistance was transported by two Grand Caravan planes and two helicopters departing from Timika’s Mozes Kilangin Airport on Friday morning.

According to Nuhujanan, officers pressed on with the operation despite challenges including the sub-districts’ remote locations, inclement weather, and threats from armed separatist groups.

He expressed hope the assistance will help alleviate difficulties faced by residents in the three sub-districts and fulfill their needs until the weather improves.

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Translator: Evarianus Supar/Handayani, Nabil Ihsan