King Tide disaster affects 70,000 in PNG

King Tide disaster affects 70,000 in PNG

 

By Patrick Matbob

One of the villages affected

An estimated 70,000 people in PNG are reeling from the effects of climate change as abnormal high tides devastated parts of the northern coastline and the islands provinces last month.

The powerful tidal surge battered and destroyed parts of one town and numerous villages and infrastructures in a vast sea area that covered more than half of the country.

So far two children have been reported killed by the disaster that has destroyed parts of the town of Wewak and numerous villages in the provinces of Madang, East and West Sepik, Morobe, Manus, New Ireland, Bougainville and Milne Bay.

The PNG government has put aside K50m of which K20m has been released for immediate relief effort to the affected areas. The Australian and New Zealand governments have also offered assistance to support NGOs involved in relief effort. Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith and Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon announced the immediate release of $1 million (K1.4m) and a RAAF C-130 transport plane has been transporting relief supplies to the affected areas. New Zealand is understood to have given NZ$300, 000 (K450, 000) worth of aid which will be delivered through NZAID to assist humanitarian groups like the Red Cross.

 A six-person United Nations Disaster Assessment and Co-ordination (UNDAC) team is in the country to assist the government to:

·         conduct an impact assessment of disaster response and relief operations in the provinces,

·         support the National Disaster Centre conduct a substantive multi-sectoral assessment of all provinces;

·         assist the Centre develop a draft recovery plan.

Also assisting the government with relief efforts are charity and NGO organizations such as the Red Cross, UNICEF, Save the Children, Oxfam, Salvation Army, Caritas and others in the provinces.

The people estimated to be affected by the disaster are 9,000 in East Sepik, 15,000 on Manus Island, 30,000 on New Ireland, 6,000 on Bougainville, 5,000 in Morobe and 1000 in Madang.

The town of Wewak in East Sepik province along PNG‘s northern coast was the hardest hit with major damage to infrastructure. Strong waves destroyed parts of the Boram General hospital, telecommunication infrastructure, Post-Office, the main wharf, two major hotels, the Moem military barracks and the road network near the waterfront.

Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare who is from East Sepik has also visited his village of Karau on the Murik Lakes on the coast which was inundated by the high seas. Sir Michael said he was saddened by the destruction of his village and assured his people of government assistance.

In New Ireland, the tides hit both the main island as well as the smaller outlying islands including the mining centres of Lihir and Simberi. Tench island had 118 people evacuated by a PNG Navy patrol boat to the neighbouring Emirau island after the tides destroyed part of the island. New Ireland provincial authorities have set up six care centres to accommodate the displaced people. The Australian army aircraft has airlifted basic supplies of tarpaulins, mosquito nets, blankets, and 20-litre water containers to the affected people.

Health teams have been sent to affected areas to carry out awareness on health risks facing the people mainly with contaminated water supplies. People who escaped from the seas are still residing in crowded camps in the bush.

In the Manus province, the government is planning to relocate people whose islands were submerged by the tides. Four islands were totally submerged and authorities fear that the same would happen again in future. Administrator Wep Kanawi said the islands had been slowly sinking and the relocation exercise was in the provincial government’s long term plan.

One village north of Madang was totally destroyed while others were partially affected by the high seas. Provincial Disaster director in Madang Otto Avorosi estimated that 1000 people in the province were affected by the disaster. He said the village of Bodbod was completely washed out and Red Cross is distributing tarpaulin, water containers and water purification tablets.

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Centre has warned people to remain on high grounds and not to return to the devastated areas until further notice. Director Martin Mose said while the sea swells were subsiding, people should wait until the authorities have given the all clear for them to return.

Chairman of the National Disaster Centre Manasupe Zurenuoc said that the recovery program would start soon.

ends.