VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has instructed related ministries and agencies as well as the local government to immediately take measures to deal with the effects of extreme weather in Central Papua Province.

Jokowi made the statement in response to a question from the media regarding the government's efforts to manage the extreme weather phenomenon experienced in Puncak District, Central Papua, that had resulted in harvesting failures and famine.

"I have instructed PMK (Human Development and Cultural Affairs) Coordinating Minister, Social Affairs Minister, BNPB (National Disaster Mitigation Agency), and the local government in the region to tackle the issue as soon as possible," he said after inaugurating the Ciliwung sewer in Jakarta on Monday.

On the occasion, the president also outlined several factors that had been making matters difficult in the province.

"It should be noted that the problem is that the province is home to a specific area, which lies at a very high altitude, where no plants can grow in the event of snowfall," he stressed.

The president also highlighted issues related to security that hinder the process of aid distribution to local communities, saying that planes carrying aid are occasionally prevented from landing due to security-related constraints.

"For that reason, I have earlier asked TNI (the Indonesian Defense Forces) to help escort (the aid distribution process). Pilots hesitate to make a landing due to the difficulty. This is a recurring problem in the region," he pointed out.

Central Papua Province, especially its Puncak District, has been experiencing the extreme weather phenomenon since June 2023, thereby leading to planted crops failing to grow and resulting in famine that ultimately claimed six lives. (Antaranews)