3 Districts In Teluk Wondama West Papua Hit By Flash Floods, Paulus Waterpauw Orders Aid Distributed Immediately

WEST PAPUA - Acting (Pj) Governor of West Papua Paulus Waterpauw ordered Regional Secretary Nathaniel Mandacan and Head of BPBD Derek Ampnir to immediately distribute emergency response assistance to Teluk Wondama Regency which was hit by flash floods.

"I have asked the Secretary of State and the Head of BPBD to review the location and immediately distribute emergency response assistance," said Waterpauw in Manokwari, West Papua, as reported by Antara, Tuesday, May 31.

He also appealed to affected residents to remain vigilant given the potential for heavy rains to fall in the area which could trigger flash floods again.

"We hope that the community will remain calm. The government will act quickly to help overcome the difficulties of residents affected by floods due to weather anomalies," he said.

Flash floods inundated residents' houses in three districts in Teluk Wondama Regency from Sunday evening to Monday, May 30, triggered by heavy rains for approximately seven hours.

Two major rivers that cross the area, namely the Ati River in Rasiei District and the Kaibi River in Wondiboi District, overflowed to inundate the houses of residents in four villages.

Head of BPBD Teluk Wondama Regency Aser Waroi said residents' houses were not only flooded by flood water, but also mud and logs, making it difficult for officers and residents to carry out cleaning.

The access road connecting Wasior-Rasiei was also filled with mud and logs for one kilometer making the road section impassable.

The local BPBD noted that 68 houses in Isei Village were damaged, while in Kaibi Village, one house was slightly damaged. Meanwhile, in Rasiei Village, one unit of a two-wheeled vehicle belonging to a resident was swept away by the flood currents.

Currently, a joint team consisting of the Social Service, Public Works Service, the Environment Service and assisted by TNI-Polri officers are working together to clean the houses of residents who are submerged in mud, sand and wood materials.

Waroi hopes for support and attention from the Central Government to deal with the problem of flooding that often hits Teluk Wondama Regency, considering that the Wasior City area and its surroundings are flanked by six rivers which are quite large and wide.

"If we rely on the Wondama Bay APBD, of course we will not be able to carry out a river channel normalization program to prevent flooding," said Waroi.