Papua and the Recurring Famine Crisis

Via telephone, Naman Bayage reported that 23 people from 13 villages in Yahukimo, Papua, died of starvation in October 2023.

The famine mitigation coordinator from Amuma District stated that the Papua famine tragedy has been ongoing since August, claiming 6 lives, but October saw the highest number of deaths.

He detailed that among the 23 deceased were toddlers, children, and the elderly. Meanwhile, 12,000 people in those districts are potentially affected.

Naman attributed the root cause to extreme weather—three months of continuous rain—resulting in crop failure and depletion of food supplies.

"The cause is famine due to three consecutive months of rain. The rain caused crop failure, ultimately leading to people dying of hunger," Naman told BBC Indonesia on Thursday (26/10/2023).

As a result of this tragedy, the Yahukimo Regional Government declared a state of emergency from October 21 to November 1, 2023. The central government also sent aid.

Following special autonomy in 2001, famine has repeatedly plagued Papua. Databoks compiled death tolls from 2005 to 2023 from various sources. As shown in the graph, the highest number of deaths occurred in 2009, estimated at 92—also in Yahukimo.

Several experts and environmental observers agree that extreme weather is not the sole cause of famine in Papua. As stated by agricultural observer Mulyadi from the University of Papua to BBC Indonesia, there are both natural and non-natural factors behind this tragedy.

Mulyadi's mentioned natural factors include extreme weather, such as frost and heavy rain, damaging food sources and causing crop failure.

The non-natural factors are human-induced. First, Mulyadi cited Papua's unsustainable agricultural system.

“Papua's agricultural system is highly vulnerable and unsustainable. It's a subsistence system, meaning farming is only to meet their daily needs, not long-term or sustainable,” said Mulyadi.

Second, the vulnerable health condition of the Papuan population. The stunting rate in the region is among the highest nationally.

(Read also: List of Stunting Prevalence in Indonesian Toddlers in 2022, Which Province is the Highest?)

Mulyadi explained that stunting is closely related to food availability and nutrition, so when food sources are disrupted, it has a high potential to cause severe famine. High poverty exacerbates this situation, as people's purchasing power for food is limited.

The third non-natural factor is the formation of new autonomous regions (DOB), including Central Papua and Papua Mountains. Mulyadi mentioned many famine cases originate from these two provinces.

“The new provinces cause government resources to be directed more towards the development of infrastructure in the new regions, such as offices. But they forget that food security and the unsustainable agricultural system are not being addressed,” he said.

Citing Tirto.id, Nicodemus Wamafma, Greenpeace Indonesia's Papua Forest Campaigner, said security factors in Papua also play a role. Conflict unrest makes people afraid to farm.

Nico also observed that the community's food system has changed due to local food management policies that are not based on the culture and consumption patterns of the local population. This has led to reduced harvest volumes and decreased biodiversity of crops due to the availability of instant food.

Meanwhile, the government is hesitant to jump to conclusions that these deaths were caused by starvation. This was stated by the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK), Muhadjir Effendy, while not denying the food crisis in Papua due to crop failure.

“So we cannot yet confirm that they died of starvation. Meaning there is no connection, there is no evidence that there is a direct link to starvation,” said Muhadjir as reported by BBC Indonesia.

Note: The data presented in this article is a compilation, so it may be incomplete or may increase.

(Read also: Indonesia's Hunger Rate Remains Relatively High in ASEAN)