Regent Says Residents Of Puncak Regency Victims Of Starvation Need Drinking Water Assistance

Illustration. Land barren due to drought in Puncak Regency, Central Papua. (ANTARA-HO-Humas Puncak Regency Government)

PAPUA - Puncak Regent Willem Wandik explained that currently residents affected by the hunger disaster in his area need help with drinking water.

"Indeed, people in Agandugume and Lambewi, apart from experiencing food shortages due to their damaged and dead crops due to extreme weather, also need help with clean water to drink because the temperature in the area is cold," he said in Jayapura, Monday, August 7, which was confiscated by Antara.

He explained that extreme weather disasters often occur in mountainous areas, including in the Agandugume and Lambewi areas because of their heights.

"The Agandugume Letak is indeed the highest compared to other areas in the Puncak Regency area. Hopefully, the impact of El Nino can end soon so that people can return to farming," said Regent Wandik.

Willem admitted that currently the health team sent by the regional government is still in Agandugume to conduct an examination of people who complain of illness.

Several residents were affected by diarrhea, including residents who reportedly died allegedly due to consuming damaged and unfit plants.

Residents also cannot carry out their activities or cultivate crops because of the condition of the land that has not been worked on due to ice dew.

"Hopefully the weather in Agandugume and Lambewi can return to normal soon so that people can grow crops," hoped Regent Wandik.

The extreme weather that hit the two districts reportedly caused five people to die from diarrhea, while another was a baby who died after being born premature.