Madang Province

The several communities affected live along two rivers that stream down from the mountains, the river Biges and Kapundik. It is believed that due landslides, coupled with the week-long heavy rains caused the two the rivers to swell to an unimaginable size.

The floods reached around 2 meters in height sweeping away anything and everything along the way. Many of the houses on high stilts were lucky, but not lucky enough as everything in their houses was ruined by the water.

The plight of the islanders is widespread in most remote villages within the country.

Long Island is situated in the far-flung island of Rai Coast District under Saidor Local Level Government (LLG). The estimated population is about 5, 000 who come under three (3) wards, under Saidor LLG, which are wards 32, 33 and 34.

A rivalry between these two LLGs erupted from a family feud in August of this year, resulting in the gruesome murder of a Yawar man by the Bom people. They had murdered and chopped the victims head and had it attached to a stick, which was placed at a public roadside. This had caused total unrest between these two factions of people and other innocent people to experience the negative impacts of not having any government services reach these areas.

The District Disaster Office confirms that a huge number of victims will need external assistance to fully compensate them for the loss of properties during the disaster

Rudolph Mongallee, Director for Provincial Disaster Office, has compiled an assessment which has been handed over to Madang Governor Ramsey Pariwa, who is expected to brief the Prime Minister and Defense Minister on the overall effect of the earthquake.

The administration, however, is taking bold measures to ensure that next academic year and onwards, students should not befall such atrocities.

Principal Marcus Weimeia is being proactive by coordinating for a protest march from the school to the Madang Provincial Government House, to present a petition, which they want immediate action on.

One of them is accessing better transportation services and on this take, the RDDA on Tuesday 28^th November presented a cheque of K380,000 to the Rural Airstrip Agency (RRA) to restore and maintain the rural airstrips in the district, to meet the required safety standard for the benefit of its rural people.

Member for Rai Coast and Minister for Labour & Employment Kessy Sawang presented the cheque on behalf of the people of Rai Coast and the RDDA.

This was raised after a petition was presented by the LLG to perspective town authorities.

President of Yawar LLG, Bogia in Madang Province, Thomas Kuangi called on the Madang Provincial Administrator Frank Lau to release funds to assist police and other sectors.  

He is concerned that the crime rate in the province has escalated in recent months causing unnecessary unrest.

Kuangi who is also a Provincial Executive Council member had issues to raise about the finances of the administration.

The program was initiated by Usino-Bundi MP and Education Minister Jimmy Uguro. This comes timely for the festive season as families of wards 17, 30 and 32 receive another batch of the roofing irons over the weekend.

The program first started in 2017 when MP Uguro took office and has vowed to transform his electorate ensuring the rollout of 24 sheets of 12ft roofing irons to each household.

The responsibility of issuing roofing irons has been delegated and coordinated by each ward council in Usino, Bundi and Gama from the collection of names of all residents.

Presiding Judge, Justice David Cannings wholly dismissed the case on grounds that the petitioner failed to prove his case to satisfaction.

Justice Cannings further stipulated the 7 reasons that came down to his decision;

The PNG Defence Force has provided two choppers to transport the evaluation team and assist in data collection. Karkar Island also reported incidences of damage. These have been captured.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) have offered the use its data collection tool, Displacement Tracking Matrix, which captures geographics, geolocation, inclusive of disability, women and children, as well as health education, security and other vital data. The data will be shared with the relief assistance team.