Lewa Pardomuan, Jakarta – Military helicopters flew rice and noodles to famine-stricken areas in Indonesia's remote Irian Jaya province on Monday as government officials said food shortages had also spread to Sumatra island.

Officials at the disaster co-ordinating office in Wamena, capital of Jayawijaya district in Irian Jaya, said 417 people had died because of food shortages and ailments, such as respiratory problems and malaria.

"Two helicopters flew to two remote districts this morning, bringing rice and instant noodles. We cannot take too much rice because of the long journey and the weather, which keeps changing," one official said by telephone.

Indonesia has been hit by a severe drought which has been exacerbated by the El Nino weather pattern. The drought has contributed to rampant forest fires in Indonesia, triggering a choking smog over a large part of Southeast Asia.

Officials earlier said at least 90,000 people in Jayawijaya faced a serious food shortage because of the drought which had destroyed crops, especially the staple sweet potato.

The official in Wamena said relief efforts had been hampered by the weather, which has been made worse by the smog.

Wamena, with a tribal population of around 45,000, can be reached only by air. Located at around 2,300 metres (7,500 feet) in the scenic Balien valley, it is surrounded by some of the world's most rugged terrain.

In the southern part of Sumatra island, villagers in some places have been eating a potentially deadly wild tuber for more than three months because of the rice shortage caused by the drought.

Media Indonesia newspaper reported on Monday that people had to prepare the tuber correctly because it was poisonous.

"We have to cook it properly, otherwise we will get poisoned. A lot of people have been poisoned so far, but none is dead yet," villager Dahlan was quoted by the newspaper as saying.

Government officials in West Lampung regency, on the southern part of Sumatra island, said rice had been sent to people in Pembantu-Bengkunat district because of the food shortage.

Government officials have said Indonesia had adequate rice stocks to offset the shortfall in production without having to import. But the country's rice production this year is expected to fall by 1.5 percent because of the severe drought.

Meanwhile, Craig Stromme, spokesman for the U.S. embassy in Jakarta, said U.S. C-130 Hercules planes had flown to Surabaya, capital of East Java province, to help put out forest fires there.

Three Hercules and 60 personnel from the Wyoming Air National Guard arrived in Jakarta on Saturday as part of Washington's humanitarian assistance to help deal with the smog crisis.

Co-ordinating Minister for Welfare Azwar Anas said the bush fires could last into December, well past the normal start of monsoon rains.