Limited Fuel Supply Hampering Volunteer Work

The team of volunteers is facing difficulty reaching several kampungs in Asmat to deliver aid and evacuate the ill children.

Kompas/Emanuel Edi Saputra

A woman cuddles her child in front of an integrated health post on Tuesday (23/1) in Pendam village, Pegunungan Bintang regency, Papua, waiting for treatment. The people of the village have been hit by a variety of illnesses, dominated by acute respiratory tract infections, dehydration and malnutrition.

AGATS, KOMPAS — The team of volunteers for the mitigation of the measles and malnutrition outbreak in Asmat regency, Papua, is facing difficulty reaching several kampungs to deliver aid and evacuate the ill children due to the limited fuel supply for the motorboat. There was only enough fuel for a four-hour return trip from Agats, the capital of Asmat regency.

The 1-1.5 ton motorboat also has a limited capacity for transporting passengers and carrying goods. The small boat was primarily a means of touring swamps and rivers in Asmat as larger boats cannot cruise in the small waterways.