Empty Stomachs in Yahukimo
Yahukimo district at the foot of Mt Jayawijaya, in the central highlands of Papua, has become famous in Indonesia for famines. One of the areas to experience this disaster is Langda, a community that can only be reached by air. Most of the inhabitants are women and children, who fill their stomachs with vegetables foraged from the forests. The following report is from the journey of Tempo reporter Tjahjono Ep, the first reporter to visit the districts of Langda and Bomela in that region.
November 17, 2009
FOR more than a week Otto Malyo has been lying in a weak condition in his dusty, airless home. The bones protrude on the legs of this resident of Langda district, Yahukimo regency, Papua; bones wrapped in dull skin that hasn’t been touched by water for a long time.
The 50 year old man lies near the fire. A dirty towel serves as a blanket to cover his penis gourd. He holds his head with his right hand. His body is stretched out on the dusty, ea
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