Wamena, Jubi – The dry season that has hit Kuyawage District, Lanny Jaya Regency, Papua Highlands Province throughout June 2026 has caused agricultural and plantation lands to dry out and suffer crop failures.
The situation has affected the livelihoods of residents in the area, particularly internally displaced persons (IDPs) originally from Nduga Regency, Papua Highlands, who have been in Kuyawage since 2018.
Their food supplies are at risk of running out, as the dry season can sometimes last quite long. The situation has led residents to plan a temporary displacement to other districts.
“This dry season [is likely] to end in December 2026. [In this situation] the community is struggling to meet daily needs — water and soil have become dry,” said one IDP from Nduga in Kuyawage, Nuwinus Gwijangge, while in Wamena, Jayawijaya Regency, on Saturday (27/6/2026).
He said that as a result of the dry season now gripping Kuyawage District, residents’ plantation lands have dried up. Grass has withered and residents are facing water shortages.
“There are no signs of rainfall — all community activities have been temporarily halted,” he said.
According to him, residents in Kuyawage may be able to survive for another week on their existing food supplies. After that, however, they will face a food crisis.
“The community has begun planning to temporarily evacuate to villages across the way, [because in Kuyawage] there is no food, all the crops have withered and dried up,” he said.
He stated that the areas in Kuyawage affected by the drought fall within the service areas of Bonbon Church, Area Church, Yugume Church, Filadelfia Church, and Pribubu Church.
Nuwinus Gwijangge said that residents in Kuyawage are hoping that the Nduga and Lanny Jaya district governments will form an emergency response team to handle this seasonal disaster and distribute food aid to the affected areas.
Meanwhile, a local intellectual, Demin Tabuni, said that drought in the Kuyawage region is nothing new. A similar situation occurs in the area almost every year.
“The impact of drought often results in crop failures in residents’ gardens and even loss of life. The last similar disaster occurred in 2022, and now it has happened again,” said Demin Tabuni.
He hopes that the Papua Pegunungan Provincial Government, the Nduga District Government, and the Lanny Jaya District Government will form an emergency response team to address the issue. (*)
