Indonesia, West Papua – The humanitarian crisis in West Papua has reached a critical stage. As of June 2025, more than 97,648 people in West Papua [1] remain internally displaced as a result of armed conflict between Indonesian security forces and the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB). New internal displacements were reported in the regencies of Jayawijaya, Intan Jaya, Yahukimo, Puncak, and Nduga.
Human Rights Minister, Natalius Pigai, stated that his ministry received information according to which approximately 60,000 people from the regencies Intan Jaya and Puncak Jaya have fled to urban areas such as Nabire and Timika. According to the information received, two entire districts, namely Sinak in Puncak Regency and Hitadipa in Intan Jaya, are now completely uninhabited, with all residents having fled due to ongoing armed clashes and military raids. The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) has documented 454 displaced persons across several districts as of June 2024, though officials acknowledge this data is incomplete and the actual numbers are much higher.
The displaced populations are facing dire humanitarian conditions that violate basic human rights. According to Komnas HAM findings, the internally displaced persons (IDPs) are experiencing severe overcrowding, with up to seven families sharing a single house in Nabire. Most displaced persons are surviving on only one to two meals per day due to food shortages, and many have lost their homes and livestock. Employment opportunities are limited, forcing most refugees to work in subsistence agriculture. Children lack access to healthcare and education services, while fundamental rights, including food security, healthcare, education, employment, and safety, remain unfulfilled for most IDPs.
Given the urgency of the situation, Komnas HAM has formally proposed that the central government declare a social disaster status in West Papua, which would provide legal authority for a coordinated humanitarian response through the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB). This declaration would enable comprehensive involvement of multiple ministries in addressing the crisis, including social assistance, healthcare, education restoration, and infrastructure recovery. Natalius Pigay declared, the Ministry of Human Rights is establishing a Papua Working Group to coordinate efforts, while also pushing for reconciliation and peace initiatives to address the root causes of displacement.
In late May 25, the Forum for Communication and Aspirations of the Papuan People (FOR PAPUA MPR RI), consisting of members of the Regional Representative Council (DPD RI) and the People's Representative Council (DPR RI) from electoral districts throughout West Papua, criticized the security-focused approach as ineffective and exacerbating civilian suffering. FOR Papua MPR RI urged the government to evaluate its militaristic policies and address the root causes comprehensively rather than through short-term sectoral responses. This demand was echoed by Papuan church leaders, who called for peaceful dialogue and negotiations, including cessation of military operations and armed conflict.
Human rights organisations and community leaders call for an immediate halt to military operations in civilian zones, the establishment of humanitarian corridors, and independent investigations into the civilian impact of Indonesia's military campaigns in West Papua. They stress the urgent need for humanitarian aid, withdrawal of non-organic troops, and comprehensive rehabilitation, including healthcare, education, housing, and psychosocial support.
Jayawijaya regency
For the first time in the past decade, the Jayawijaya Regency experienced a wave of internal displacement on 9 June 2025, when residents of the Maima District fled their homes due to armed clashes between TPNPB and security forces, causing widespread panic among the civilian population. The shootings occurred in multiple locations, including Pugima village, on the border between Maima and Walelagama districts, and the villages of Minimo and Kepi in Maima District.
The displacement particularly affected residents of Maima District, with many fleeing to safer locations, such as the Adventist Church in Maima District and Haltaga Village. Residents from Minimo Village and surrounding areas sought refuge at the Advent Church in Piekul, while others fled to Haltaga Village in the middle of the night. The exact number of displaced persons has not been specified in the reports.
This latest displacement is particularly tragic as many of the affected residents had recently returned from evacuation due to major flooding in May 2024. Both displacements have left the community severely traumatized, with many residents still afraid to leave their homes or resume normal activities as of June 2025. The area where the occurred in an area where residents had recently opened new gardens after recovering from the previous year's flood damage.
Intan Jaya regency
Since 30 March 2025, intensified armed conflict between the Indonesian security forces and the TPNPB has led to the mass displacement of an estimated 7,000 civilians in Intan Jaya Regency, Central Papua. The most affected areas include the districts of Hitadipa, Sugapa, and Agisiga, with residents fleeing from villages such as Zanamba, Jaindapa, Sugapa Lama, Titigi, Ndugusiga, Hitadipa, and Soagama. Entire communities, including children, elderly persons, and religious leaders, have been forced to flee on foot through forests and across rivers, seeking refuge in Sugapa and Nabire. Human rights defenders reported the killing of one civilian, house burnings, and indiscriminate bombings carried out during Indonesian military operations, with many seeking temporary shelter in emergency camps in Mamba Village and the Yokatapa football field. On 5 April, the Jayawijaya regent provided food and other aid deliveries to IDPs in the Hitadipa District.
The latest wave of displacement was reported on 13 May 2025, following new military offensives and air operations. By 19 May, at least 275 individuals had fled the Hitadipa District alone. Human rights defenders in Intan Jaya were able to document the killing of four civilians, while seven villagers remain missing. Their bodies have not been recovered yet, as of early June 2025. Five civilians were injured during the raid. Despite the government's limited distribution of food aid, the displaced remain in precarious conditions, with no access to adequate shelter, healthcare, or protection. As of late May, photos and videos document the ongoing presence of displaced families from across three districts, now living in improvised camps with little state support.
The humanitarian crisis in Intan Jaya raises urgent human rights concerns, including possible violations of international humanitarian law due to forced displacement, targeting of civilians, and the use of airstrikes in populated areas. Many of the affected villages are located near the resource-rich Wabu Block, an area of corporate interest for gold exploitation, prompting concerns about conflict-driven displacement linked to extractive interests.
Puncak regency
Since early May 2025, the Puncak Regency in Papua Tengah Province has experienced a significant surge in internal displacement due to intensified Indonesian military operations. On 7 May 2025, residents of Pogoma District and Sinak Barat District fled to the Sinak District following sudden military operations involving helicopter targeting civilian settlements. By 17 May 2025, a second displacement wave was reported, with hundreds of residents from the districts Sinak Barat, Bina, and Pogoma seeking refuge in Sinak District due to fear of heavy military presence near their villages. In response, Puncak Regent, Elvis Tabuni, issued Regent Decision No. 300.2.1/68/2025 declaring a state of emergency for handling non-natural disasters, effective for two weeks from 23 May 2025.
The situation escalated dramatically between 22 and 26 May 2025, following military operations in the districts of Gome and Gome Utara, which resulted in the killing of three indigenous civilians, while one person was reportedly injured. These incidents triggered mass displacements in multiple villages, including Mundirok Walen Karu, Tobanggi, and Ilanggume, with residents fleeing to forests and heading toward Ilaga Town. Displaced civilians from Gome Utara District sought refuge in Inggernok, Kagago 1, Kagago 2, and Ilaga Town, while others gathered at the Puncak Regent's residence in Gome. An elderly man reportedly died as a result of the stresses during displacement on 29 May 2025. On 12 June 2025, the national food agency (BAPANAS) provided 16 tons of rice for IDPs from the districts of Gome, Gome Utara, Sinak Barat, Pogoma, and Bina (see photo below, source: WPCC)
The humanitarian crisis has been compounded by the military occupation of civilian infrastructure. Since January 2025, Indonesian forces have been using the GKII Church Building in Timobut I as a military post, while in mid-May, approximately 200 TNI/Police personnel reportedly occupied multiple educational and public facilities across Beoga District, including Beoga State Junior High School 1, Kelmabet State Elementary School, and the Ampobera Village Hall. The displaced populations face severe challenges, including limited access to healthcare, food shortages, and inadequate shelter, with humanitarian assistance being provided primarily by solidarity groups, churches, and NGOs rather than government agencies.
Yahukimo regency
On 11 April 2025, 71 indigenous Papuans were forced to flee their homes near the Braza River in the PT Bintang Timur complex area of Dekai and the Seradala District, Yahukimo Regency, Papua Mountains Province, following armed clashes between the TPNPB and Indonesian security forces. According to the information received, the group of IDPs was composed of 13 women, 17 men, 2 infants, 20 children, and 19 young women. They sought temporary shelter with relatives in Dekai Town. Independent humanitarian workers reported that Indonesian military forces used bazookas targeting civilian plantations in the Beraza River area.
The displacement occurred just days after TPNPB forces claimed responsibility for killing 15 illegal gold miners in the region. Local civilians have urgently appealed to the government for protection and humanitarian access, stating they feel unsafe and demanding that authorities and all relevant parties immediately seek peaceful solutions to end the armed conflict. The displaced residents emphasized their need for state protection while calling for media access and fair coverage to support peace-building efforts throughout West Papua.
Nduga regency
The Nduga displacement crisis has entered its seventh year since the December 2018 killings of road workers led to large-scale military operations. Thousands of Nduga residents remain displaced across various areas in West Papua, with one of the largest concentrations in Jayawijaya Regency. The IDPs continue to face severe healthcare shortages, with children suffering from chickenpox, diarrhea, scabies, and other illnesses, while clean water remains critically needed for drinking, cooking, and daily use. Military operations have again intensified since 28 May 2025, with additional troops being deployed from Jakarta to Wamena via warship and Hercules aircraft, causing fear among thousands of Nduga IDPs already sheltering in Wamena.
Following the September 2024 release of New Zealand pilot Philip Mark Mehrtens from Yuguru Village, military members raided the area, knowing that the TNPB had designated the area as a refuge zone for IDPs from other districts in Nduga. Between 21 and 27 March 2025, the situation dramatically escalated when TNI forces raided residential houses in the Yuguru area, resulting in the abduction, torture, and murder of 27-year-old Abral Wandikbo on March 22. The military's occupation of the Yuguru Elementary School 1 and the Mebarok District Office exacerbates the humanitarian crisis.
The displaced population from the five districts Yal, Mam, Koroptak, Mapnduma, and Mugi, who had sought refuge in Yuguru, have fled the area due to the presence and ongoing operations by the military. According to reports from May 25, more IDPs have arrived in the wider Wamena area since the Yuguru raids. They face food insecurity and remain isolated from humanitarian access. Volunteer workers reported in early June 2025 that displaced children in Nduga do not attend school due to a shortage of teachers, inadequate facilities, and high security risks. They started opening schools in their homes but reportedly faced intimidation from TNI members.
Oksop district, Pegunungan Bintang
People in Oksop continue facing a heavy military presence in the district. The situation has been ongoing since December 2024, with about 707 residents from the Mimin Village, Oksop District remaining internally displaced. They continue living in forest shelters. Those who decided to return to their villages must live with the constant fear of raids and restrictions on their freedom of movement. Military personnel continue occupying the GIDI Efesus Sape Church and the district office, using these buildings to store weapons and combat equipment while conducting armed patrols (see video below, source: independent HRD), which were reportedly accompanied by forced searches of homes, as well as illegal seizure of crops and livestock. This militarization of civilian and religious spaces has created widespread fear among residents, who have been forced to abandon their villages with no state guarantees of security or organized evacuation assistance.
The displaced population, consisting primarily of children, women, and elderly people, is facing a severe humanitarian crisis in makeshift forest camps with no access to healthcare, food security, or basic services. Pregnant women have been forced to give birth without medical assistance, wrapping newborns in leaves, while several people have died in the camps due to a lack of medical care, including 70-year-old Poropina Kalaka in January 2025. Elderly IDPs have been unable to walk in difficult terrain and require constant assistance from others. Local volunteers from five villages are providing limited support. The IDPs in the forest remain cut off from humanitarian aid, healthcare facilities, and communication channels. On 2 June 2025, the Department of Law and Human Rights of the Evangelical Church in Indonesia (GIDI) delivered humanitarian aid for IDPs in the Oksop area using a cargo plane from Jayapura to Oksibil (see photos below).
Kiwirok district, Pegunungan Bintang
The displacement crisis in Kiwirok District, Pegunungan Bintang Regency, represents a protracted humanitarian emergency spanning four years since armed conflict intensified in mid-2021. As of April 2025, 752 people from six villages remain internally displaced, with 689 people specifically documented from the villages of Ehipmata (136 people), Okha (118 people), Ngumolkonaka (119 people), Hiwakop Pom (22 people), Miim (106 people), and Wapdon (188 people). The displaced population has been surviving in forest camps with minimal humanitarian assistance, resulting in 96 documented deaths between 2021-2025, particularly among pregnant women, infants, and elderly persons due to the absence of medical care.
On 9 April 2025, TNI and Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) forces ordered the district head to gather remaining residents near the military post under the pretext of distributing food aid, which included minimal supplies of instant noodles, cooking oil, salt, and 2 kilograms of rice per family. However, this distribution occurred under pressure on both local officials and residents, with those remaining in Kiwirok being forced to stay due to security force coercion.
The military has implemented strict movement controls requiring residents to report to TNI posts before accessing their gardens or collecting wood from forests. The displaced residents have refused to return due to fear of TNI and Brimob surveillance using cameras and round-the-clock patrols, stating they will remain in the forest until all military troops have left the area. Government and religious activities, including church services, have ceased functioning normally due to the mass displacement and intensive military presence, creating an atmosphere of stress and fear among the remaining population.
Maybrat regency
Despite official claims by the Maybrat Regional Government in 2024 that all IDPs had been successfully returned to their home villages, significant challenges persist. On 23 April 2025, the West Papua Southwest Provincial Government, together with the Directorate General of Human Rights and the regional coordination forum, held a meeting on IDP management and implementation of the Free Nutritious Meals Program. During this meeting, the Deputy Governor acknowledged that more than 6,000 IDPs remain a continuing challenge, contradicting earlier government assertions of successful resettlement.
On 25 April 2025, Maybrat Deputy Regent Fernando Salosa, along with the IDP return team, conducted a meeting at the Intipura complex in Sorong Regency, one of the areas where IDPs from Maybrat sought temporary shelter. According to information from attendees, the meeting did not address displacement issues but instead focused on infrastructure development and the establishment of new districts in the East Aifat region. However, the meeting is emblematic of the disconnect between government priorities and the actual needs of displaced populations.
The current situation reveals that while approximately 90% of IDPs from South Aifat, Central East Aifat, and East Aifat districts have returned to their villages, the districts Aifat Timur Jauh and Aifat Timur Selatan remain abandoned, with residents still scattered across various displacement sites. The local government has pressured communities in other parts of Maybrat to return to their homes without proper reconciliation, rehabilitation, and reconstruction as mandated by Law No. 7/2012 on Social Conflict Management. The situation has left returnees living under military pressure and intimidation. Those who have returned face severe constraints, including limited healthcare access, economic difficulties due to restricted access to traditional hunting and farming areas. Community members have testified to facing ongoing threats of violence and sexual harassment from security forces. Military personnel continue occupying at least seven public facilities in Maybrat, while police mobile Brigade (Brimob) members have established a police post inside a school building in the Ayata Village.
Table of IDPs across West Papua, Indonesia, as of 13 June 2025 (see original document)