Jakarta (ANTARA) - National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowosent humanitarian aid in the form of essential commodities and warm clothing to residents in drought-hit Central Papua.Head of the National Police Public Relations, Inspector General Sandi Nugraha, stated here on Thursday that the Police Chief sent 264.7 tons of rice, 1,500 packages of essential commodities, and warm clothing. Each package of essential commodities contains five kg of rice, instant noodles, sweetened condensed milk, sardines, and sweet soy sauce. Some one thousand adult jackets and 150 child jackets were also sent by the Police chief. ll the assistance was directly handed over to the impacted residents in Central Papua. In distributing the Police Chief's humanitarian assistance, the National Police cooperated with the military (TNI), National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), and the Puncak District Government. Nugraha stated that a plane transported the aid from Timika District, Central Papua, to the impacted site in Agandume in about 40 minutes and to Sinak in around an hour. "In Agandume, the assistance would be distributed through land routes or on foot to Lambewi and Oneri, with an estimate of half a day," Nugraha remarked. Earlier, the BNPB said the drought that occurred in Puncak District, Central Papua, was influenced by winter in Australia. The agency stated that the drought occurred due to extreme weather and not because of the ongoing dry season in Indonesia. The extreme condition has halted the growth of plants, and fog and ice had emerged in some of Central Papua's highlands, such as in the sub-districts of Agandugume, Lembawi, and Oneri, due to the cold air. Such weather also damaged tuber crops that are the staples of the people there.

Source: Antara News Agency