International Committee of the Red Cross

Mt Hagen General Hospital Section Supervisor for Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Sister Edith Namba made this statement during the opening of a new Family Support Centre (FSC) at the hospital on Thursday. 

Sr Namba said the facility would provide a confidential and secure setting where survivors of family and sexual violence could access the professional support they need.

“Mothers and women are dying slowly from this epidemic.

Head of the ICRC’s PNG Mission, Mark Kessler said, PNGDF naval officers need a firm understanding of the laws of armed conflict at sea as they continue to participate in naval drills and trainings with countries in the Asia Pacific region. 

“Maritime boundaries have become critical to the geopolitics of the Asia Pacific region, and it’s vital that naval officers understand the rules of naval warfare,” Kessler said.

The International Committee of the Red Cross carried out its first distribution of relief items to Pilikambi LLG last week.

A total of 757 kits were distributed to 527 households from the Talyul, Sikir and Andati clans.

More than 500 houses were burnt and 20 people killed in tribal fighting in the area.

The items distributed included jerry cans, blankets, mosquito nets and kitchen items. Each kit also contained a set of tools intended to help families rebuild their homes.

In a statement, the army said it had "returned security to Aleppo" and called it a "crushing blow" for rebels.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed "all civilians who wished to be evacuated have been, as well as the wounded and fighters".

This is the biggest victory for President Bashar al-Assad since the uprising against him began in 2011.

At least 34,000 civilians and rebel fighters have been removed from eastern Aleppo over the past week, a UN official said earlier.

He made this comments after the completion of a human rights training course offered by International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to 30 senior police officers Port Moresby and Central Province.

The workshop, one of a series held in PNG by the Geneva-based humanitarian organisation, aimed to provide a forum for police officers to discuss issues and learn how to apply international standards in their police work.

The workshops covered such topics as international human rights law, arrest and detention, the use of force and firearms and maintenance of public order.

ICRC representative on Bougainville Fadi Fara told Loop PNG in a recent meeting regarding missing persons.

“It is one of our sole duties and roles to support victims of armed conflict and more importantly, right now to help find missing persons,” Fara said.

“Right now we do not have any factual data for missing persons and how many were killed in the Bougainville crisis, but we’re inclined and prepared to play an advisory role to the authorities and actors regarding missing persons.