Sentani, Jubi – Jayapura Regent Yunus Wonda says the local government has no immediate plans to declare a public health emergency following the suspected food poisoning incident linked to Indonesia’s Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program in Depapre District on Tuesday (4 August 2026).
Speaking to reporters at Yowari Regional Hospital (RSUD Yowari) after visiting patients on Wednesday evening (5 August), Wonda said it was too early to classify the incident as an Extraordinary Event (KLB), Indonesia’s official designation for a public health emergency.
“For now, we are allowing the situation to unfold. Whatever the government can do, we will do,” Wonda said.
The former speaker and deputy speaker of the Papua Regional Legislative Council
said authorities are still unable to determine what caused the suspected food poisoning, as laboratory testing of food samples is ongoing.
“We still don’t know whether it was caused by all of the food served or by a particular ingredient, such as the tempeh or the eggs. We cannot confirm that until the laboratory results are available,” he said.
The Jayapura Regency administration also said it had not yet confirmed the total number of people affected, as data collection was still underway. However, Wonda stressed that no fatalities had been reported and urged the public not to spread misinformation or false claims about the incident.
He added that patients whose conditions had improved would not be discharged immediately, saying all patients would remain under medical observation until they were fully recovered to prevent any recurrence of symptoms.
“This incident is an important lesson for all of us involved in preparing and providing meals for children. It is something we must take seriously,” Wonda said.
The suspected food poisoning case is being investigated by the Jayapura Police, which has processed the scene, secured evidence and coordinated with the Papua Regional Police Forensic Laboratory to examine food samples.
Investigators have collected samples including tempeh cooked in sweet soy sauce, leftover food, watermelon, used cooking oil, and three portions of MBG meals that had not yet been distributed. Police said all samples had been sent to the forensic laboratory for testing.
Investigators have also interviewed 30 witnesses, including people involved in the preparation and delivery of meals under the MBG program.
The investigation is focusing on the entire food preparation process, as well as the distribution system used to deliver meals to beneficiaries.
The exact number of suspected poisoning cases remains unclear.
Several sources have estimated that around 80 people were hospitalised across health facilities in Jayapura Regency and Jayapura City. However, legal counsel for the Nutrition Fulfilment Service Unit (SPPG) said the Depapre kitchen had distributed around 2,200 meal packages on the day of the incident to schools, community health posts and other beneficiaries across Depapre District.
Of those recipients, the lawyer said approximately 10 per cent, or about 220 people, were reported to have developed symptoms consistent with suspected food poisoning. (*)
