The East New Britain Provincial Government (ENBPG) has launched a major relief supply exercise aimed at supplying humanitarian assistance to the affected areas in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB) caused by recent volcanic eruption.
The province over the weekend witnessed the event in Tropicana Vunapope beach front in Kokopo where important delegates representing the country the minister for Defense Win Daki, Commander PNG Defense Force Brigadier Goina, Director National Disaster Center Lusette Mana, Police Commissioner David Manning, Bougainville Affairs Minister Manaseh Makiba, Correctional Service Commissioner and delegates from AROB representing the president led by Peter Tsimalili Jr Bougainville Regional Member and Minister for Internal Security were in the province to witness the event.
Governor Michael Marum welcomed the delegates stating that the province is privileged to have them in the province to receive the relief supplies.
He said as the Governor and its four members of the province when they heard about the eruption and people were affected they made an agreement to gather food supplies, including garden food to send over to assist their brothers and sisters in AROB.
“On behalf of the 400, 000 people of East New Britain, we say sorry to our fellow brothers and sisters in South Bougainville volcano eruption is not a new disaster to us we have our own disaster and destruction here in 1994,” said Marum.
He said ENB people have experienced and feel how it’s like to lose homes, towns and other essential services that benefit the people and AROB assisted the province.
“We are close to AROB and we are here to continue to give our support, we will all work together and honoured to assist our families in AROB, as they go through this difficult time in their lives,” he said.
The event also marked the launch of the PNG Government's Relief Support to the victims of Mt Bagana volcanic eruption and an inaugural occasion for a PNG Defense Force vessel to enter the coast line of AROB since the Bougainville Peace Agreement in 2001.