Flood hits Sepik

By GABRIEL FITO
MORE than 50 families from the Sepik Plains in Yangoru, East Sepik province were left homeless with no food and safe drinking water after a flood swept through their villages, knocking down houses and destroying properties including food gardens and livestock.
Domestic animals including chicken, dogs, cats and pigs were swept away by flood waters caused by continuous heavy rain in the area.
The flood resulted from the Warabung and Hambeli Rivers in Yangoru bursting their banks with rising water levels two weeks ago.
The villagers affected are Makambu and Pangembit villages of the East Yangoru local level government area.
It took a villager George Aiwori two weeks to travel to Wewak to lodge a formal report with the provincial disaster office and the media as the village was not accessible by vehicles including PMV.
Mr Aiwori told The National yesterday that the tragedy had now left them with no food at all because all their food gardens had been destroyed.
“We can’t even make sago to supplement our diet because everything is underwater.
“Drinking water is another major problem as the wells we collect from had been contaminated by waste from the latrine pits that overflowed,” Mr Aiwori said.
Mr Aiwori said villagers were appealing to the disaster office in Wewak to help them with food supplies and canvases for makeshift homes, while they collect building materials and relocate their villages on higher grounds.

 

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