Tuesday, June 12, 2012

K16 million for Western province flood victims

By ISAAC NICHOLAS
PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill moved quickly on Sunday to allocate K16 million and pledged K260,000 worth of relief supplies to be flown in today for victims of floods in Western province, The National reports.
About 48,000 people occupying the delta region of the major Fly River were said to be without fresh water and food when the Fly burst its banks following persistent heavy rains over the past few months.
The number may reach as high as 60,000 as late reports said villages in the Middle Fly had also been affected.
The 25,000 residents on Daru Island are also affected because they depend on food from people on the mainland and basic food supplies such as rice, tinned fish and biscuits are running out from stores on the island.
O’Neill flew into Daru on Sunday to get first-hand briefing on the situation on the ground and the news is not too good as reports said people in the Middle Fly could also be affected.
Australian Federal Minister for Torres Strait and Aboriginal Affairs Warren Hinch also flew into Daru from Cairns on Sunday where he met with O’Neill to address the disaster and border treaty areas affected by flooding.
O’Neill was in Daru with K19 million, where K16 million will go for disaster relief and K3 million for the Daru Secondary High School upgrading.

Daru Secondary School...rundown and in need of improvement.-Picture by MALUM NALU

The prime minister said another K260,000 worth of food and relief supplies made available by the National Gaming Control Board were being loaded on two barges that would leave Port Moresby today for Daru.
Provincial administrator William Goinau said the South Fly district had been declared a disaster area and the provincial administration last week allocated K1.5 million for immediate relief assistance.
He said the North and Middle Fly areas were also affected.
O’Neill also thanked the Australian government and its people for their help in assisting the people of Daru.
The Australian federal minister and member of parliament flew to Daru from Cairns to get first-hand information on the flooding and damages that had been caused to the people in Western.

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