Starvation Disaster In Yahukimo Papua, Ministry Of Agriculture-Banas Asked To Prepare Umbi Varieties To Resist Extreme Weather

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy. (ANTARA/HO-Kemenko PMK)

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK) Muhadjir Effendy asked the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Food Agency to prepare varieties for extreme weather-resistant tubers.

"Later, I will coordinate with him (Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman)," said Muhadjir as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, October 25.

The preparation of this special tuber variety is to overcome the scarcity of food in two provinces in Papua. In certain times people often fail to harvest due to the tubers they plant rot.

The weather is caused by extreme weather in the form of snowsheds. This case occurred in a number of districts in Puncak Regency and Yahukimo Regency. If people are forced to eat rotten tubers, it is feared that they will be exposed to diarrhea and will be dangerous for the body.

The provision of this special Umbi variety will be a long-term solution for the government in overcoming the hunger disaster. Thus, people in the area do not need to wait for assistance from outside the region.

"So that their basic foodstuffs that have been depending on the tubers can be available enough so that they do not continue to rely on support from outside aid," he said.

For the medium term, the government will build food warehouses in affected areas. The construction of this warehouse is the domain of BNPB and the Ministry of Social Affairs.

"So that in the months before it is predicted that there will be a shortage of food, we have sent stock in those places so that the affected victims will not happen seriously," he said.

In the short term, the government will send food aid to affected areas in Amuma District, Yahukimo Regency, which is currently in a food crisis.