US, UN back efforts to assess impact of Papua New Guinea earthquake, deliver aid to survivors

iom.int
March 16, 2018

Port Moresby – Almost three weeks after the 7.5 magnitude earthquake that struck Papua New Guinea’s remote provinces of Hela and Southern Highlands, International Organsation for Migration (IOM) teams are working with the government and partners to assess the full impact of the disaster and deliver essential lifesaving aid to survivors, even as landslides and aftershocks continue to affect the region.
The government estimates that over 544,000 people across five provinces were affected by the quake, which left at least 145 people dead.

Families in Hulia-Beleria displaced by the February 26, 2018, earthquake which struck Hela province, Papua New Guinea. Photo: David Helo / United Church in Hela

Over 270,000 are in need of immediate aid, including food, water, medicines, tarpaulins, tents and blankets.
The government and its aid agency and private sector partners have targeted seven of the worst-hit Local Level Governments (LLGs) in Hela and Southern Highlands provinces.
 It has also set up two forward operating bases and two emergency operations centres close to the quake’s epicentre.
But while main roads have largely been cleared, aid workers warn that damage estimates may continue to rise as many affected communities remain cut off by landslides and are only accessible by air.
“Many among the affected populations live in remote communities that are a challenge to access at the best of times.
"In the face of a natural disaster of this magnitude, they have become even more isolated.
"Air support to reach these people is critical,” said IOM PNG Chief of Mission Lance Bonneau.
IOM, which is leading the Shelter, Non-Food Item (NFI), and Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) clusters in the emergency response, has deployed displacement tracking teams, assisted by oil and gas company ExxonMobil and other local partners on the ground, to assess the impact, needs, and assistance gaps for people affected by the quake.
The mapping generated by the displacement tracking matrix (DTM) will contribute to the PNG National Disaster Center’s coordination of the multi-partner relief effort to ensure that the right assistance gets to the populations who need it most.
IOM, which this week received USD 100,000 from USAID’s Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance, has already delivered basic shelter and non-food relief items to over 400 displaced families.
The US funding will allow it to provide basic shelter, water and sanitation to another 800 of the hardest hit families and will also support training for local authorities and NGOs managing Care Centre shelters for quake survivors.
Another USD 100,000 channeled to IOM last week by UNOCHA – the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs – will be used to provide more lifesaving aid, including shelter materials and water containers, to another 2,500 families.
“We welcome the support provided thus far, but the needs remain significant.
"The full impact of the earthquake is still coming to light, as landslides continue to affect unstable areas.
"Traditional water and food sources have been compromised and entire populations have been traumatised by the scale of this disaster.
"We need to continue to address the immediate needs of those most affected, but we also need to think about longer term recovery and reestablishment of community infrastructure.
"Shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene are critical needs now and will continue to be into the foreseeable future,” said Bonneau.

For further information, please contact IOM Port Moresby. Wonesai Sithole, Tel: +675 4 3213655 Email: wsithole@iom.int  or Lance Bonneau, Tel: +675 321 36 55, Email: lbonneau@iom.int

PNG Air reports improved 2017 performance

PNG Air Press Release

PNG Air has reported a significantly improved performance in 2017 with overall revenue growing by 28% in 2017 compared to 2016.
“The growth in revenue despite soft prevailing economic conditions supports the airline’s strategy of re-fleeting by bringing in brand new ATRs and shows that we now provide a competitive alternative for the travelling public of Papua New Guinea,” said Murray Woo, chairman of directors of PNG Air.

PNG Air ATR at Kagamuga Airport in Mt Hagen.

“Our vision in re-fleeting and rebranding the Airline was to bring first world aviation services to PNG.
"Our challenge now is to make air travel more available to the people of PNG and to keep improving the service we offer."
While revenue grew, the airline recorded an operating loss before abnormal items and tax of K4 million in 2017, which is a significant improvement compared to the K34.84 million operating loss in 2016.
The loss including abnormal items before tax amounted to K11.95 million
in 2017 (K73.53 million in 2016).
Woo commented “While the operating loss represented an improvement over 2016, we were aiming to make profits in 2017, but the soft PNG economy, weak global resource prices, foreign exchange difficulties and fuel prices all worked against us.”
Highlights for the airline for the year included winning the contract to service all of Newcrest’s aviation requirements in PNG, and adding two additional brand new ATR 72-600 aircraft to its fleet, bringing the ATR fleet to seven.
The airline now has the youngest fleet in PNG.
Additionally, the airline opened airport lounges at Lae and Mt Hagen, and completed conversion of one of its Dash 8 aircraft to a full freighter configuration, able to carry up to four tonnes of freight.
Woo said “We are confident about the future for PNG Air.
"The economy is expected to grow and there should be more investments in the resource sectors.
"PNG Air has the right aircraft and people to provide the aviation services that will require, putting us is in a strong position to benefit  as growth occurs.”
PNG Air Ltd operates ATR 72-600 and Dash 8 aircraft to 25 ports throughout PNG, with 410 flights each week carrying over 450,000 passengers each year.

PNG earthquake response logistics situation update (14 March 2018)

reliefweb.int
March 14, 2018

01. LOGISTICS OPERATIONAL UPDATES

GENERAL UPDATES

● The Government of Papua New Guinea (GoPNG) through the Emergency Controllers Office, has established Forward operating bases as well as Logistics Bases, with privately donated services from commercial operators and international donors in Mt. Hagen and Moro. There are Emergency Operations Centres in Mendi and Tari from the National Disaster Centre.

● The above have been established to serve the worst-hit 7 Local Level Governments (LLG) in Hela and Southern Highlands provinces, namely: North Koroba, South Koroba, Yahapuga Rural, Koma rural, Hulia Rural, Nipa Rural and Lake Kutubu Rural.

● Wide-spread damage to infrastructure, including airfields, bridges and access roads, and further landslides caused by recent heavy rains, have been hampering access to affected communities.

● GoPNG has cleared the main Highlands Highway connecting Western Highlands, Southern Highlands, and Hela. However, several roads linking to the Highway remain impassable.

● Fixed and rotary wings assets by the Australian and New Zealand Defence Forces (ADF and NZDF) - made available to support the immediate emergency response phase - are being phased out CH 47 on Friday 16 March and C130 on Monday 19 March, 2018.

● A system to request and coordinate the tasking of military and private sector assets has been put in place by the logistics coordination team (further information in the sections below).

AIR TRANSPORT

● The NZDF C-130 which was based in POM to support the initial relief efforts, completed operations on 14 March 2017. The ADF C-130 - also based in POM for rotations to Mt Hagen and Moro will complete its last task on 19 March. The C-130 is currently fully tasked until 17 March. Three ADF CH47 Chinook helicopter will also complete their tasking on 16 March.

● Oilsearch and ExxonMobil have three Bell 212 helicopters available for loading from Moro.

● MAF has two Twin Otters and three Cessna Caravans for use with some limited cost recovery.

● The phasing out of foreign military assets will increase current gaps in reaching hard-to-reach and remote communities living in locations primarily accessible via helicopter. Alternative / commercial transport options and resourcing are being looked into to address this gap.

*Click this link for a PDF

UNICEF Australia launches appeal to help 125,000 Papua New Guinea children urgently needing assistance following earthquakes

unicef.org.au
March 15, 2018

UNICEF Australia is appealing to the public to help fund its relief effort for the children of Papua New Guinea affected by February’s 7.5 magnitude earthquake - and more than 100 quakes and tremors.
270,000 people, including 125,000 children, require urgent humanitarian assistance in areas where homes, subsistence farming and basic infrastructure including telecommunications, roads, hospitals and schools were destroyed.
The four provinces affected are in the rugged, mountainous area of PNG called the Highlands Region.
“Children are in a constant state of fear and exhaustion.
"Thousands of survivors are crowded into inadequate shelters where some relief is being distributed.
"But children are still extremely traumatised and hungry and face the risk of disease, malnutrition and lack of protection – and are of course out of school,” said Karen Allen, UNICEF PNG Country Representative.
In the hospitals and clinics still open, people have been admitted with trauma injuries, including crushed bones.
 One woman admitted to Mt Hagen Hospital said she had lost her husband and seven of her children.
One boy, receiving treatment after being hit in the head by falling rocks, says everyone in his village has lost their homes and food gardens. Eleven of his neighbours died.
“Tens of thousands of children in the Papua New Guinea Highlands desperately need our support and protection.
"We need to provide space spaces for children who lost the safety of their homes and schools when these collapsed around them,” said Tony Stuart, CEO of UNICEF Australia who just returned from meeting affected families in Mt Hagen.
Donations received by UNICEF Australia will directly support children affected by the earthquakes in the Southern Highlands and Hela provinces, to help them access ‘Child Friendly Spaces’.
These are spaces where children are protected from abuse and violence, and where they can receive psychosocial support and counselling.
UNICEF is also working closely with partners and the Papua New Guinea Government to deliver hygiene kits, basic sanitation and delivery of vaccines for children and women.
 Funding is needed to restore damaged ‘cold chain’ facilities to properly store vaccines and ensure that devices are in place for hypothermia and neonatal resuscitation.
About half of children under-five in Papua New Guinea are chronically malnourished; the highest rate in the Pacific and fourth worst in the world.
 A high proportion are not fully vaccinated.
The situation is likely to get worse with the ongoing emergency so UNICEF has prioritised ready-to-use therapeutic food and micronutrients for children, and vaccinations.

###

About UNICEF

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visit www.unicef.org.au

For more information, please contact:

Charlotte Glennie, UNICEF Australia, +61 420 407 886, cglennie@unicef.org.au

Andreas Wuestenberg, Emergency Specialist, UNICEF East Asia & Pacific, awuestenberg@unicef.org

Chinese Government provides humanitarian emergency assistance to Papua New Guinea

Chinese Ministry of Commerce

Since February 26, 2018, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake and several aftershocks struck central Papua New Guinea, which was the largest earthquake since 1922.
By March 7, the earthquake has caused at least 122 deaths and over one hundred million yuan losses, and many buildings have been destroyed.
To show the Chinese government’s friendship and support for the government and people of Papua New Guinea as well as the international humanitarian spirit, the government of China initiated the emergency humanitarian assistance mechanism and decided to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to help Papua New Guinea deal with this disaster and post-disaster reconstruction. 

Further New Zealand support for Papua New Guinea earthquake

beehive.govt.nz
March 16, 2018

New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced a further $3 million (K6.96 million) package of support following the February 26 earthquake in Papua New Guinea.

New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters 

“The full extent of this disaster is only becoming clear now nearly three weeks later; there has been extensive damage to water and food sources, transport infrastructure and significant loss of life,” Mr Peters said.
New Zealand has been working with the Government of Papua New Guinea, Australia and other donors to provide humanitarian relief, transporting relief supplies from New Zealand to Papua New Guinea and from Port Moresby into the Highlands.
This latest funding will be used to meet ongoing needs on the ground and includes up to $1.5 million for New Zealand NGOs with local partners to deliver ongoing emergency relief and early recovery activities in the Highlands.
“The Highlands region of Papua New Guinea is a challenging environment and the response and subsequent recovery will take time. This additional support reflects this,” Mr Peters said.
This funding is in addition to an initial package of $500,000 and the deployment of a New Zealand Defence Force C-130 Hercules carrying emergency supplies to Papua New Guinea.

Papua New Guinea: Highlands Earthquake Situation Report No. 2 (as of 14 March 2018)

reliefweb.int
March 14, 2018

This report (click to get PDF of full report) is produced by the National Disaster Centre, the Office of the Resident Coordinator and the United Nations Coordination and Assessment (UNDAC) Team in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It was issued by the Disaster Management Team Secretariat. It covers the period from 10 March to 14 March 2018. The next report will be issued on or around 16 March 2018.

Background

According to initial estimates, over 544,000 people are affected across the five most affected provinces. Over 270,000 people require immediate humanitarian assistance.

Priority needs include medicine, tarpaulins and tents, blankets, food, and water.

The Government, private companies and humanitarian partners have focused initial relief efforts on communities in the worst-hit seven Local Level Government (LLGs) in Hela and Southern Highlands provinces.

Main roads linking Hela and Southern Highlands provinces have been cleared, but many communities can only be reached with air assets.

The Government has established Forward Operating Bases in Mt. Hagen and Moro, as well as Emergency Operations Centres in Mendi and Tari.

544,368 affected people

270,442 people in need of assistance

18,200 displaced in 26 informal care centres

7 LLGs prioritized for urgent assistance

Situation Overview

The National Disaster Centre (NDC) estimates that around 544,000 people have been affected in five provinces and that more than 270,000 people are in immediate need of assistance. According to the Government, the death toll has reached more than 100 people. Reports from provincial disaster offices confirm 37 deaths in Southern Highlands Province, mostly in the Mendi area due to landslides and collapsing walls, over 300 injured people. The Western Provincial Disaster Office has confirmed 13 people killed, three injured and another three missing. Many reports of casualties across the affected provinces remain to be confirmed. The full impact is likely to remain unclear as many areas remain difficult to reach.

Based on preliminary estimates, earthquake intensity mapping and assessment data, the Government has prioritized:

37,689 people most severely affected and in need of immediate assistance in 7 LLGs1 in Hela and Southern Highlands provinces;

232,753 people affected and needing assistance in Hela and Southern Highlands and some areas in Western Province; and

273,926 people affected covering remaining areas in Hela, Southern Highlands, and many communities in Western and Enga provinces.

Many locals are traumatized and afraid of returning to their homes, and staying in informal care centres or with family or community members. Displacement tracking has been rolled out in the 7 most affected LLGs to assist in identifying the needs of the displaced communities. Currently, households are living in clans within the care centres (health facility, schools, churches and host communities). While estimates are difficult given the nomadic nature of the population and the fluctuations between night and day populations in the care centres, approximately 18,200 people are displaced and staying in informal care centres, with thousands more staying with families and host communities. Data collected from Komo-Magarima District’s, Hides 4 in Komo LLG, Timu and Lau in Hulia Beneria LLG show that there is an estimated total of 7,000 displaced persons with the majority being women - Hides 4 (63%) and Timu (55%), and there are more males (54%) than females in Lau. Displaced communities and households have restricted movement and access to available services due to fear of their tribal enemies.

A number of health facilities have been damaged, some significantly, while many more remain inaccessible. According to the Hela Provincial Health Authority, there are 34 operational health facilities in Hela comprising Tari provincial hospital, 4 health centres and 29 sub-health centres. In Southern Highlands Province, the main referral hospital is functioning, but the operating theatre is not functioning as the anesthesia machine was damaged in the earthquake. In addition to health facility damage and destruction, many health workers have lost their homes, including on-site accommodation at the Mendi hospital and staff accommodation at most health centres in Hela Province. Across both provinces, water systems and cold chain in health facilities are damaged or destroyed, including tanks, pumps, power systems, and refrigeration systems for vaccines. Surveillance systems are not functional, leaving the population highly vulnerable to outbreak risks.

The principle water sources for people in the highlands before the earthquake had been surface water and rainwater collection systems. Many of the water sources have been affected and/or depleted by the earthquakes. Rainwater collection systems have been damaged or destroyed. With no access to safe and clean water, waterborne disease outbreaks, such as diarrhoea, already among the principal causes of under-5 mortality, are most likely to occur. This risk is further compounded by the destruction of sanitation facilities and unsafe hygiene practices. Open defecation in rural communities is widespread. The National Department of Health, supported by partners, are conducting water quality assessments of water sources in Southern Highlands Province and downstream locations in Gulf Province.

Partners are scaling up humanitarian relief efforts and are gaining access to more communities, although there are still unmet needs in many areas. The remoteness and access constraints create logistical challenges and while no major security incidents have been reported, many affected areas have a history of tribal conflict and volatility. To date, most of the main road linking Hela and Southern Highlands provinces have been cleared allowing vehicles carrying relief supplies to pass. Some roads remain blocked with ongoing construction work, but should be opened in the coming week. Due to the ongoing seismic activity and rain, contractors are assigned to station at certain points of the main roads to monitor and clear the roads to allow an uninterrupted flow of vehicles. Remote locations with no road access are still being reached by fixed and rotary wing assets.