KARUBAGA — Grief has enveloped residents of Tolikara Regency, Papua Pegunungan, after floods accompanied by landslides struck several districts on Friday (6/2) at around 6:00 a.m. WIT. Hundreds of families are facing a harsh reality as their homes, farmland, and vital infrastructure that sustain their livelihoods have been severely affected.
Preliminary data from the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Tolikara records that 827 households have been impacted. Villages in Karubaga District, including Kolilan, Ampera, Elsadai, Molera, Gurikme, Kimibur, Kogimage, Losmen, Danggulurik, Kiranage, and Yalikaluk, are among the hardest hit.
The disaster also affected residents in Lianogoma District, including the villages of Magerakuk/Leragawi, Longgoboma, Kuburatiri, and Bogone; Kai and Wiyager in Kai District; Banggeri, Geyaneri, and Milineri in Wenam District; Timori in Geya District; as well as several villages in Tagineri District and other parts of Tolikara.
Most of the affected residents are farmers who rely heavily on agriculture and livestock for their livelihoods. In addition to homes being flooded or buried by landslide debris, farmland has been damaged, livestock lost, and personal belongings swept away by strong currents. Roads have been cut off, bridges have collapsed, and the electricity network operated by Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) was damaged, paralyzing community activities for several days.
Although no fatalities were reported, material losses are estimated to have reached hundreds of billions of rupiah. Behind these figures are stories of families losing their homes, children seeking shelter with relatives, and parents worrying about how to rebuild their lives.
Tolikara Regent Willem Wandik responded swiftly by issuing a Natural Disaster Declaration Letter No. 360/25/BUP/2026 dated February 7, 2026. This declaration complements the previously enacted Alert Level 1 status due to extreme weather conditions.
The Regent, accompanied by Deputy Regent Yotam Wonda, personally visited the affected areas alongside the Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda) and BPBD Tolikara officials. In addition to assessing infrastructure damage, they distributed emergency aid and met with residents to ensure their basic needs were being addressed.
Head of BPBD Tolikara Feri Kogoya emphasized that joint teams have been working since the first day of the disaster.
“We are present with the community. From the very beginning, BPBD teams together with TNI/Police moved quickly to reopen isolated access routes and assist residents. Tolikara’s mountainous and landslide-prone geography poses significant challenges to recovery efforts, but we are doing our utmost to help residents return to their daily activities,” he said in Karubaga on Saturday (15/2).
He added that repairs to PLN’s electricity network took approximately six days before power could be fully restored. Currently, the local government is prioritizing the repair of roads and bridges to ensure smooth logistics distribution. Data collection on damaged homes and farmland is ongoing to guarantee that assistance is delivered accurately and effectively.
The Tolikara Regency Government is also awaiting weather analysis from the Badan Meteorologi, Klimatologi, dan Geofisika (BMKG) Papua Province as a basis for further action. Hopes have also been expressed that the Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana (BNPB) will promptly conduct field verification to accelerate support from the central government.
“We understand that the community is experiencing trauma due to consecutive disasters. Support from all parties is urgently needed so Tolikara can recover soon. Recovery is not only about rebuilding infrastructure, but also about restoring the spirit and hope of our people,” Feri stated.
A series of disasters within a short period has become a heavy trial for Tolikara. Yet amid the hardship, solidarity and compassion continue to grow. The local government reaffirmed its commitment to stand alongside residents, rebuild what has been damaged, and ensure that no affected family faces the recovery process alone.
