Head of Wondama Bay District, Hendrik Mambor, and his deputy Andarias Kayutakuy symbolically handed over the rice aid to beneficiary families in Wasior region on Friday.
Mambor explained that the distribution of the government's rice aid serves as an effort to anticipate the risks of food shortages induced by the global heat phenomenon El Nino.
"As many as 2,454 beneficiary families received rice aid from the government," he noted.
The district head then called on all elements of society in Wondama Bay to participate in the efforts to strengthen food resilience by optimizing their house yards and empty lands to plant food crops.
He expressed belief that by cultivating various food crops, such as sago, bananas, taro, tubers, chilies, and tomatoes, the people could help curb inflation in the district.
"Carry out a planting movement by planting productive (food) crops in the hopes of providing the community with adequate nutrition and food," he told his people.
Meanwhile, Head of Wondama Bay's Agriculture and Food Office, Korneles Paduai, stated that the rice aid was distributed to 2,454 beneficiary families living in 13 regions in the district.
"The recipients of the government's rice aid include widows and elderly people that do not have a steady income," he remarked.
In total, as much as 73.60 tons of CBP had been distributed to beneficiaries in Wondama Bay District throughout this year.
Each beneficiary family received 10 kilograms of rice per month for three months, or 30 kilograms at once.
"The first phase (April-June) of the distribution was carried out by PT Pos Indonesia (state-run courier and logistics company)," Paduai stated.
An official from West Papua Province's Food Resilience Office, Yos Solisa, on his part, reminded the people of Wondama Bay to make the most of the rice aid from the government to meet the need of their families.
The official also urged distributing officers against charging fees while delivering the CBP to underprivileged people.
"I ask that this rice not be sold, like what happened in several places," Solisa stressed.
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Translator: Fransiskus Salu, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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