Drought triggers food and water crises in Gorontalo and Pacitan

Prolonged dry seasons are causing severe food and water shortages across several regions in Indonesia. In Gorontalo Province, residents in Batudaa Regency have been forced to consume 'bitule' (Dioscorea hispida), a wild tuber containing high levels of cyanide, as a staple food due to crop failures. Governor Gusnar Ismail visited Huntu Village to deliver emergency food assistance, including government food reserves distributed via Bulog, to families facing starvation.

Simultaneously, in Pacitan Regency, an eight-month drought has depleted local spring water sources. In Sambong Village, three hamlets—Bengle, Sawahan, and Pager Gunung—are experiencing acute water scarcity. To mitigate the crisis, local police (Satlantas Polres Pacitan) have begun distributing clean water, including a 5,000-liter tank to residents in Bengle hamlet.