Head of the BNPB's Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Center, Abdul Muhari, said on Monday that the total budget used to build the two food reserve warehouses was more than Rp82 billion (US$4.9 million) and was undertaken using BNPB's Ready-to-Use Funds (DSP).
The food warehouse in Sinak sub-district has been completed and filled with food reserves, which are ready to be distributed to the community with the help of Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) personnel from the XVII/Cenderawasih Military Regional Command, he added.
Meanwhile, the construction of the warehouse in Agandugume sub-district is still not complete due to difficult access and horizontal conflict disturbances from certain groups, requiring special security from TNI personnel.
"The disturbance has been resolved by TNI personnel. While the Agandugume warehouse is still under construction, food from the Sinak warehouse will be sent to Agandugume," Muhari informed at a BNPB disaster briefing.
According to him, the phenomenon of frozen dew is a serious threat that occurs almost every year in the region, causing food shortages and threat of starvation in both sub-districts.
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Frozen dew is a phenomenon involving the appearance of cold dew or frozen snow in mid-July, August, and early September, which freezes land. A similar phenomenon also occurs in Dieng, Central Java.
Muhari said that the frost affects the residents of Puncak Papua since it damages agricultural products, such as tubers and any other food sources they plant and store in the ground.
BNPB recorded the impact of climate and weather in Papua in 1997, 1998, 2015, 2018, 2019, and 2022.
It reported that the air route was opened in 2023 from Timika to Sinak, but not all planes could land in Agandugume, with flight times reaching 40 minutes to 1 hour, or more, due to inadequate airstrip facilities.
Thus, food distribution could only be carried out by caravan-type aircraft from Timika to Sinak, followed by a two-day land journey to Agandugume.
Taking note of this, in 2023, the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture, BNPB, Central Papua provincial government, and TNI committed to building a food warehouse in the area.
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Translator: M. Riezko Bima, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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