Lewa Pardomuan, Jakarta – Famine triggered by a severe drought has spread to Indonesia's Moluccas region, threatening more than 80,000 people, while relief efforts continued in remote Irian Jaya, officials and the media reported on Monday.
The official Antara news agency reported villagers in three of the worst-hit districts in the Southeast Maluku regency had been forced to forage for yam and fruit in the forest.
"The drought has threatened 81,840 people in at least 130 villages in seven of eight subdistricts in Southeast Maluku since September," W.M. Parinusa, head of the social services office, was quoted by Antara as saying on Saturday.
Parinusa said forest fruit and yam had become scarce in Lemosa district, adding that the government had sent at least 11.25 tonnes of rice to the villages.
The drought has triggered rampant forest fires in Indonesia and caused famine in remote Irian Jaya province on the western side of New Guinea island where more than 500 people have died.
Rains have started in the western part of Indonesia but many other areas, mostly east of the archipelago, remain parched. The rainy season has started in some highland areas in Irian Jaya.
"We are continuing to send food supplies to the drought-stricken areas in Irian Jaya. The main problem is the weather which keeps changing due to the start of the rainy season," an official at the disaster coordinating centre told Reuters by telephone on Monday from Wamena in Irian Jaya.
"Many times we had to cancel flights because of the thick fog which is the result of rains the previous night," he said.
A total of 554 people have died in Irian Jaya because of the famine and drought and at least 150,000 people are vulnerable to food shortages.
Most of the areas affected can only be reached by air and are surrounded by some of the world's most rugged terrain.
The drought, exacerbated by the El Nino phenomenon affecting global weather patterns, has devastated crops in Irian Jaya, mainly yam and sweet potato.
The official in Wamena said the government had sent 12.5 tonnes of cassava grain and other foodstuffs.
"We are teaching volunteers in Wamena to prepare the grain for the people in the interior," he said.
The official said at least 14 flights had been planned to transport food supplies on Monday.
"The main concern now is disease such as malaria which is rampant. We are also preparing more doctors to come to the affected areas to treat the victims," he said.
President Suharto last week ordered Planning Minister Ginandjar Kartasasmita to end the famine in Irian Jaya.
Authorities and non-governmental organisations have dispatched tonnes of rice, noodles and blankets to the drought-stricken areas.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said last month that drought-related famine would cause thousands of deaths if emergency food supplies did not arrive soon.