Yahukimo Papua Starvation Disaster, Bulog Ensures Sending Aid

PadaNG - President Director (Managing Director) of Perum Bulog Budi Waseso ensured that the government through the agency he leads immediately sent aid to Yahukimo Regency, Papua Province, which was affected by the hunger disaster.

"God willing, we will immediately handle it," said Director of Perum Bulog Budi Waseso in Padang as reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, October 25.

Budi Waseso said that the vulnerability and difficult terrain conditions are quite a challenge in distributing aid to Yahukimo Regency. However, the government has prepared a number of strategies to ensure that assistance, especially rice, can be distributed to Yahukimo Regency.

This strategy, he said, involves directly the personnel of the TNI Task Force and the Indonesian Air Force (AURI) in order to distribute logistics to affected areas. He said Bulog also has sufficient supply or stock in the area. "We have stock there. The problem is only transportation problems," said Budi Waseso.

According to him, under normal conditions, the distribution of aid to Yahukimo Regency is easy to do. It's just that it is disturbed by the conditions of the terrain and vulnerabilities.

"If conditions are normal then there will be no problems, because we cooperate, including with AURI," said Budi Waseso.

He believes that the distribution of aid entrusted to the police and the TNI can immediately deal with the problem of hunger in Yahukimo Regency.

"God willing, it will be safe. We will make every effort for our brothers and sisters there," said Budi Waseso.

Separately, the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK) Muhadjir Effendy said hunger occurred due to crop failure in Yahukimo due to extreme weather in the Papua Mountains region. Meanwhile, landslides have also occurred due to high-intensity rain since the end of August 2023.

"The victims affected by hunger are in 13 villages, with a population of 15 thousand people," said Coordinating Minister Muhadjir Effendy.