An unusually long and heavy rainy season in Papua New Guinea has caused problems including homes destroyed by winds and flooding. Still more dangerous has been a large number of landslides in the remote mountainous areas of the country, burying roads and cutting off villages that were already nearly inaccessible.
A landslide on 20 January in Kwasong, Morobe Province, in northern Papua New Guinea left 13 people dead and many more injured. Following a heavy downpour, at 10 pm a landslide buried a small village. At the same time a huge torrent of flood water swept down the already swollen creek that ran through the village. The flood destroyed what the landslide did not, wiping away homes, gardens, animals and personal belongings. Eight people died when they were buried in the landslide and five lost their lives after being swept away in the flood waters. Seventeen families were left homeless with more than 200 people affected.
The Salvation Army was called upon and responded as soon as air transport – the only way to reach the area – could be arranged. Twenty shelter tarpaulins, 100 bales of rice, 100 bales of plain flour, 50 cartons of tinned fish, 100 bottles of cooking oil, five bales of clothing, cooking utensils and assorted bales of tea, sugar and other commodities were rushed to the area.
The long-term response will include the provision of garden tools and building supplies. The village houses were made of bush material so the basic materials are readily available to rebuild. The Salvation Army is also providing spiritual and emotional support and counselling in the wake of this tragic event.
With no money available for disaster response, the territory has had to divert funds from other vital services to meet the crisis.
