Australia and New Zealand have pledged millions in aid to the people in the disaster area in Papua New Guinea. In the remote highland province of Enga, a massive landslide buried an entire village late last week. At least 2,000 people are believed to be buried under the rubble.
More landslides are expected, Enga Provincial Disaster Committee chairman Sandis Tsaka said on Tuesday. The government of Papua New Guinea has called on thousands of people to leave the vulnerable region.
As people dig for buried people, large amounts of soil continue to be lost. A state of emergency has been declared in the landslide area and adjacent areas in a remote part of the country. 4,500 to 8,000 people live there. Not everyone was affected by the evacuations, Tsaka said.
Very difficult to use for helpers
Evacuations in the disaster area are difficult. Due to the remoteness, difficult terrain and tribal unrest in the region, the army was forced to escort the aid convoys, Tsaka said. Heavy clearing equipment and relief supplies are slowly progressing towards the landslide area.
Help from neighboring countries
Australia has now announced that it will provide its northern neighbor with 2.5 million Australian dollars (about 1.5 million euros) in humanitarian aid. New Zealand promised 1.5 million New Zealand dollars (about 850,000 euros) on Tuesday. “As a close neighbor and friend, we will do everything we can to provide support,” Australian Defense Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles wrote on coordinate assistance.
People completely desperate
Video footage showed weeping residents rubbing their faces with a yellow paste made from mud – a sign of mourning in parts of Papua New Guinea. Evit Kambu, an elderly woman from the community, told the BBC that 18 family members were buried under the tall masses of stone and earth. Numerous friends from her village were also buried. She feels completely helpless. Many helpers dug in the mud with their bare hands and shovels – but almost always in vain. Only very few victims have reportedly been recovered so far.
Source: Krone
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