Displaced Manam islanders living in care centres in Bogia and Sumkar districts of Madang Province received humanitarian assistance from neighbouring Papua province of the Republic of Indonesia.
Governor of Madang Province, Ramsey Pariwa thanked the government of Papua province who generously donated 20 metric tons of Merauke rice.
Governor Pariwa travelled by road with the container carrying the 20 metric tons of rice to deliver bales of rice at the Tabele Primary School, on Sunday, May 14, 2023.
Present to receive the rice donation was president of Iabu local level government, Kenny Boli, Manam kukurai (chiefs) representative Willie Rupunai and a director of the Manam Resettlement Authority, Ferdinand Kaungeri.
The assistance is to maintain sister-province relations between Papua province and Madang. Last month a delegation from the Papua province led by Ibu Sussie Waingal delivered the rice to Madang and met with the Madang Governor to seal the deal.
Arrangement for rice was made through the Momase Governor’s Council Secretariat in 2019 through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on behalf of the two sister provinces.
Julie Ariako of the Momase Governors’ Council explained that in 2019 a delegation from Madang travelled to Papua province where they signed the MoU between the two governments. However, since then other issues including Covid-19 the shipment was delayed until this year when the new governor reconnected the relationship.
Ms Ariako said at that time when they were about to sign the instruments news from home was that the Manam volcano had erupted. During that time the governor of Papua province announced that they would help with sending a humanitarian aid of 50 tons of rice to the Manam islanders.
Meantime, another 50 tons of rice from the Papua province would be arriving in Madang at a later date.