Deaths in Papua, Indonesia - Hunger and related disease

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http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=49215

Indonesian team heads to Papua following reports of deaths from hunger
Posted at 21:33 on 20 September, 2009 UTC

The Indonesian government says it will send a team to a district in eastern Papua Province after an ngo reported deaths from hunger and associated diseases there.

An adviser to the Coordinating Ministry for People?s Welfare, says the team of officials will be dispatched this week to the isolated district of Yahukimo in Papua.

He told the NGO, Integrated Regional Information Networks or IRIN, that the team will see the situation on the ground in order to take measures on who to achieve sustainable food security.

He also says the provincial government has been asked to deliver food supplies such as rice, noodles and sugar to the affected areas.

Yahukimo District chief says food shortages have hit 25 areas in the district.

The chairman of the People?s Health Council, a community-based body in Yahukimo says 49 people had died in the past three months due to illnesses.

But the Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission said it had received information from local NGOs and civil society groups that 113 villagers had died in Yahukimo since January due to hunger and associated diseases after crop failures.

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[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Deaths in Papua, Indonesia - Hunger and related disease

It is a sad and recurring event in this area:

recent report: http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?p=294442


Snip from report in 2005:

MOST OF 55 DEATHS IN YAHUKIMO DUE TO MALARIA, INTESTINAL WORMS.

ANT - LKBN ANTARA (Indonesia) | December 12, 2005 | Copyright

Jakarta, Dec 12 (ANTARA) - Most of the recently reported 55 deaths in Yahukimo district of Papua were due to malaria and intestinal worms, Coordinating Minister of People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie said here Monday. "The government has sent food and medicinal aid. We will disseminate information on a clean and healthy life-style and provide health services to Yahukimo villagers to protect them from diseases," Aburizal said after formally receiving his post from his predecessor Alwi Shihab. Aburizal, Agriculture Minister Anton Apriantono and State Logistics Agency (Bulog) chief Widjanarko Puspoyo visited Yahukimo district recently when they distributed a total 45.6 tons of food aid, medicines, and baby food as an emergency relief for the villagers.

In addition to information on a healthy lifestyle, the government would also provide information to the local people on an efficient and effective planting system. "The government will establish food barns in each village in Yahukimo district to avoid food scarcity due to harvest failure," Aburizal said.


From Antara

Minister : No famine in Yahukimo

Monday, September 7, 2009

Coordinating Minister for People`s Welfare Aburizal Bakrie. (ANTARA/Andika Wahyu/*)Bogor (ANTARA News) - Coordinating Minister for People`s Welfare Aburizal Bakrie has denied that there had been a famine in Yahukimo district in Papua.

He said here on Monday he had received reports from the Yahukimo district head and church officials that no famine had occurred in the district.

"I was shocked to read reports about it while the fact was that no such problem has happened. I have received reports from the district head as well as church officials that no such thing has occurred," he said at a limited cabinet meeting on recent quake, chaired by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the Bogor Palace.

He said reports from the district head and church leaders were based on field inspections. He said they had also denied that some people had died because of famine.

"So no one has died because of a famine. Sure there must always be deaths every day. Even in Jakarta deaths happen every day," he said.

Since the famine two years ago in the district, the chief minister said, the government had already improved food, education and health conditions in the region.

He said the government had extended top seeds for cultivation in several districts in the regions to overcome food problems. He admitted that some districts still grew crops with seeds which were not prime and vulnarable to deseases.

"No famine has occured. It was only a crop failure and it did not cause a famine," he said.

Local media in Papua had recently reported that a famine had swept several areas in Yahukimo such as Sutamon, Langda, Bomela and Seralada.

According to them the situation broke out in January 29 and 92 people had died because of it.(*)

http://www.antara.co.id/en/news/1252329772/minister-no-famine-in-yahukimo