Sohe folks are very, very hungry

By ALISON ANIS
THE need to survive has simply become ‘sheer’ desperation for over 1,000 displaced people of Sohe district in Oro province after the devastation wrought by severe floods that was triggered by tropical Cyclone Guba.
After going without food for eight days the people of Hunjara, Kamata and Kira villages along the flood-savaged Kumusi River in the Sohe district are swimming back in the hope of locating their food gardens, now underwater, and diving in to dig out whatever food they can get their hands on.
The situation has got Kokoda town mayor Ori Kenia crying on the phone when reporting from Kokoda station last night.
He said most of food crops were rotten from being under water too long but the flood victims were so hungry and desperate that they kept swimming back to their gardens in the hope of finding something to fill their empty stomachs.
Whatever good part that was found was food that could be eaten in order for them to survive.
“People are very, very hungry; they hadn’t eaten for eight days and had been out in the cold with absolutely no shelter, no sheets and no warm clothes. So you can just imagine how one can cope in these type of conditions, let alone being hungry,” Mr Kenia said.
He said they were desperately in need of immediate emergency relief supplies and medical services.
Director for National Disaster Service Martin Kose when informed of the situation at Kumusi, said he would direct a helicopter into the area today to drop off food supplies.