Jakarta, IO – Hundreds of Papuans living in the mountainous region have gone hungry in the past month because their crops failed due to drought.
Papua’s Disaster Mitigation Agency head William Manderi said at least three have been reported dead, one in critical condition, while around 500 others are starving in Lanny Jaya regency, Papua, BBC Indonesia reported on Thursday (4/9).
“We have dispatched a team to the field to check the situation and assess the needs,” said William.
According to him, the location is quite difficult to reach. It takes a two-hour flight from Jayapura, followed by approximately two hours on foot.
Executive director of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) in Papua, Maikel Primus Peuki, said that based on the information he has, famine has repeatedly occurred in the regency since 2015.