TIMIKA (25 July 2023) - Ministry of Social Affairs (MosA) assistance for residents experiencing drought in the Agandugume and Lambewi District, Puncak Regency, Central Papua, arrived in Timika on Monday (24/7). Logistical assistance of 14 tons was flown from logistics warehouses in Jakarta and Jayapura.


Acting Director of Social Protection for Natural Disaster Victims Adrianus Alla said that MoSA had been trying to send assistance through the Sinak District since yesterday (24/7). However, the assistance could not be flown due to weather constraints.


"All the assistance has already been in Timika. It's just a matter of bringing it to the two districts. Because the two districts in Puncak Regency are not accessible," he said.


Adri explained, the affected district, namely the Agandugume District, has an airstrip. However, the assistance cannot be distributed through the district since it is currently under reparation and considering the security situation. So the most likely alternative is to send the assistance through Sinak Field. However, this effort was hampered by the weather.


"Yesterday, starting from Monday, we were here (Timika). We wanted to fly, but we failed because of the weather. Today (25/7) we wanted to fly again but again we failed because of the same reason. Tomorrow (26/7) will try using two caracal helicopters and two Caravans," he said.


Those two modes of air transportation are scheduled to transport assistance in stages. The Caravan can carry a ton of assistance, while the Caracal helicopter owned by the Indonesian Air Force is capable of transporting 750 kg in one flight.


Currently, 7,500 residents in the two districts are in hunger due to drought that affected crop failure. The phenomenon of hail that occurred in early June caused the tubers which are residents' staple food, to rot and decay. Afterwards, the rain did not fall so the residents' crops experienced drought.


"Based on information from the district head and religious leaders. In Agandugume there are 3,500 people, while in Lambewi there are 4,000 people. So there are approximately 7,500 residents." said Adri.


Furthermore, Adri said, what the community needed most was food. The types of assistance sent by the Ministry of Social Affairs were 4,000 ready-to-eat food packages, 4,000 children's food packages, 2,000 ready-to-eat side dishes, 500 tents, 25 boxes of sardines, 32 boxes of corned beef, 83 boxes of sausages, 15 boxes of shredded beef, 18 boxes of biscuits, 3,000 sets of children's clothes (kindergarten, elementary and junior high school), 4,000 adult clothes, 4,000 pieces of adult trousers, and 4,000 sheets of blankets.