Indonesia, West Papua – Between November and December 2025, human rights defenders and local media covered new internal displacements in West Papua due to new security force raids and the ongoing expansion of military infrastructure in the central highlands.
As of 1 January 2026, more than 105,878 civilians across multiple regencies remained internally displaced due to military operations and armed conflict (see table below). The vast majority of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) are indigenous peoples, as security force operations exclusively target areas that indigenous Papuans mainly inhabit. Incidents triggering new internal displacements reportedly occurred in the regencies Mimika, Nduga, Lanny Jaya, Intan Jaya, and Yahukimo.
On 21 November 2025, the Papuan Church Council, in collaboration with the STT Walter Post Jayapura Centre for Social and Pastoral Human Rights Studies, organised a Literacy and Resilience Festival titled "Caring for Memories Through Words" in Jayapura City. The event provided a platform for IDP representatives to share their experiences and brought together civil society stakeholders to document and raise awareness about the humanitarian crisis. The testimonies at the festival illustrated both the challenges faced by displaced populations and grassroots resilience efforts.
The humanitarian conditions across all displacement sites remain uniformly dire, characterised by acute shortages of food, medicine, clean water, and shelter. IDPs sheltering in forests face particularly harsh conditions with minimal humanitarian access, while those in evacuation camps struggle with severe overcrowding, inadequate resources, and the complete cessation of daily activities. The situation is further complicated by restricted humanitarian access due to security force controls and challenging geographical conditions. The militarisation of health access in conflict zones across West Papua has created fear and hesitation in seeking medical care, with fatal consequences for vulnerable populations.
This crisis reveals a systematic pattern of military operations that disproportionately affect civilian populations and violate principles of distinction between combatants and non-combatants. The long-term nature of these displacements, with some populations like those in Pegunungan Bintang displaced since 2021 and over 10,000 Nduga IDPs living in Jayawijaya since December 2019, indicates an entrenched humanitarian emergency requiring sustained attention. The IDPs refuse to return until military forces withdraw from their villages.
Mimika
On 31 October 2025, Indonesian military forces entered Jila District, Mimika Regency, and opened fire on villages without prior warning, despite no reported armed conflict with the TPNPB at the time. The operation reportedly resulted in the internal displacement of approximately 1,500 civilians. Some fled to Timika City while others remained sheltering in forests around Jila District without government assistance or humanitarian access. Restricted internet access in the area hampered the documentation of the situation.
The crisis escalated significantly on 10 December 2025, as military forces reportedly conducted aerial bombardments in Amuagom Village at approximately 5:00 a.m. The attack destroyed civilian homes, livestock, and property, with ammunition casings found in yards and bullet holes penetrating house walls. Hundreds of IDPs fled dozens of kilometres to the Jila District centre without adequate food or water. A dozen residents fled to Puncak and Puncak Jaya Regencies. Military operations reportedly continued on 11 December, expanding to ten villages with additional troops and helicopters deployed.
On 12 November 2025, joint security forces announced operations in the Jalan Gunung area of Dekai District, calling upon the residents to vacate within two weeks. This announcement triggered the immediate displacement of at least 83 villagers, including children and pregnant women. The displaced population settled across three locations in nine villages without any government-prepared evacuation sites or relief goods.
The lack of humanitarian access has had fatal consequences. On 16 November 2025, Mrs Humuin Bahabol, a 40-year-old woman, died after weeks of hiding in the forest without adequate food, clean water, or medical treatment. She had developed stomach problems that worsened into liver and heart complications. On 23 December, four-year-old Ashepia E. Yalak reportedly died at Dekai Regional Hospital after her family fled the military operations. The patient suffered from a high fever and could not be saved despite hospital intervention. Most IDPs are reluctant to utilise public healthcare services, which have become overshadowed by military control and surveillance of patients.
The security situation in the Jalan Gunung area again deteriorated following armed clashes on 13 December 2025. Thereupon, Indonesian forces reportedly intensified operations in and around civilian residential areas. A dozen civilian houses were severely damaged as security forces indiscriminately opened fire in the residential area. Security force members killed livestock and devastated houses, with bullets piercing through walls and roofs.
Intan Jaya
A security raid in the Sugapa District on 7 November 2025 resulted in two villagers, including a nine-year-old child, being injured by military personnel. Community representatives have since met with military officials to request a halt to operations. Hundreds of residents from Eknemba and surrounding villages reportedly fled to the forests and to Sugapa Town. The TNI and Police set up three temporary military tents in Wagantapa, while communications and civilian movement in the area are heavily restricted (see photo below, source: independent HRD). Another concerning development occurred on 16 November, when military officials in Hitadipa urged residents to convince IDPs in forests and neighbouring villages to return home, explicitly stating they want no more reports of IDPs from the area. (see video below) This pressure on IDPs to return comes amid ongoing military activity.
Since early November 2025, Indonesian military forces have established new military posts in civilian areas of Intan Jaya Regency, notably in Ogeapa Village. TNI members reportedly requested land for another post in Hitadipa Village. These actions were taken without consulting local customary leaders. In Ogeapa, military operations officially described as solar panel distribution have involved house searches, causing significant trauma among residents. Traditional livelihoods such as farming and hunting have been disrupted. The TPNPB claimed that these villages fall within a designated civilian evacuation zone for IDPs established since 2019, arguing that military presence there violates international humanitarian law.
Nduga
On 10 December 2025, Indonesian military forces launched an air operation in Gearek District, Nduga Regency. The airstrikes reportedly damaged several civilian homes in the vicinity, leaving the affected indigenous communities traumatised. Approximately 100 persons from Gearek District fled to the regency capital of Kenyam, where they set up tents near the Kenyam Inpres Primary School from 14 December. Others reportedly fled to the neighbouring Asmat Regency.
The displacement lasted approximately two weeks. On 22 December 2025, the Nduga Regent provided Rp. 200 million in assistance to facilitate the return of IDPs after expressing their strong desire to celebrate Christmas in their village. Following coordination between the Papuan Justice and Integrity Foundation (YKKMP), local government, police, and military authorities, IDPs from Yunusugu began returning on 18 December, and those in Kenyam returned on 26 December after a joint Christmas service. Meanwhile, longer-term Nduga IDPs remain displaced in various regencies across West Papua. Church youth groups distributed Christmas aid to IDPs from Kroptak District, Nduga, who have been living in Jayawijaya Regency since fleeing their homes in December 2024.
Lanny Jaya
On 5 October 2025, Indonesian military forces conducted air and ground operations in Yigemili Village, Melagi District, Lanny Jaya Regency. The attack occurred suddenly while residents were preparing for Holy Communion, with two helicopters launching an aerial assault that forced the congregation to scatter. The operation resulted in significant property destruction. Approximately 2,000-2,300 residents fled to neighbouring Wuyukwi Village, where they established an IDP camp. Conditions in the camp quickly deteriorated. By early November, IDPs reported that food reserves had depleted to just 5 kilograms of rice for the entire displaced population in the camp. The Lanny Jaya Government provided aid on 14 October, but supplies were quickly exhausted.
Education, health services, and economic activity in the area came to a complete standstill, with schools and health centres ceasing operations. The IDPs were afraid to leave the camp due to ongoing military patrols. By late November 2025, IDPs expressed a strong desire to return home but insisted on a formal agreement with the local government guaranteeing their safety and addressing rehabilitation needs. The IDPs from Melagi continue to live in the IDP camp and forest shelters as of January 2026.
HRM received updated information about IDPs from the districts of Oksop and Kiwirok. For both locations, IDPs remain in semi-permanent IDP shelters in the surrounding forests of Pegunungan Bintang. The situation has become particularly concerning for IDPs from Kiwirok, who have been living isolated from humanitarian access, including fundamental health services, since 2023. In November 2025, HRM received video statements in which Kiwirok IDPs demanded that authorities allow humanitarian access (see video below, source: GIDI Church). Fighter jets attacked an IDP settlement in the forest on 6 October 2025, causing further trauma to the IDP community in Kiwirok.
IDPs from Oksop celebrated Christmas in various forest shelters across the district. Among them are the elderly, children, and pregnant women. According to updated information received in early December, about 4,584 persons from the villages Oksop, Atenar, Mimin, Alutbakon, and Oktumi remain internally displaced as of December 2025.
Maybrat
The displacement crisis in Maybrat Regency, now entering its fourth year, continues to affect an estimated 2,800 people. IDPs remain scattered across villages and towns, with residents from South East Aifat District (6 villages, 905 people) and Far East Aifat District (7 villages, 920 people) among those still unable to return home. Between September and November 2025, eight IDPs reportedly died in Sorong from various illnesses, including one minor aged 17, highlighting the ongoing health challenges facing the IDPs.
At a Human Rights Day commemoration held by LBH Kaki Abu in Sorong between 7 and 10 December 2025, IDPs from Maybrat testified about the dire conditions they face. While some have returned to three districts since government repatriation efforts began in 2023, the districts East Aifat and South Aifat remain uninhabited. The IDPs also criticised these repatriation efforts as forced returns that fail to address basic needs such as healthcare, education, and economic support, while some public facilities and private homes have been converted into security posts.
Those who have returned continue to live under tight military control, with TNI posts established in villages throughout the region. Residents must seek permission from military personnel to conduct daily activities. Like elsewhere in West Papua, the ongoing heavy military presence is reported to have serious impacts on the freedom of movement of indigenous communities. Observers have raised concerns that the heavy military presence in Maybrat serves the purpose of securing natural resource exploitation, with multiple active mining and logging operations in the regency.
IDPs across West Papua, Indonesia, as of 1 January 2026 (see original document)