By DAVID TERRY and staff correspondents
SEVERAL teams made up of Health Department officers, police officers and representatives from other departments have been flown to flood-affected areas in Oro to determine the damage and the assistance required.
They will also visit relief centres in Eiya, Mamba, Gira, Aeaka, Emo, Asafa and Ilimo and are expected to complete their report by the end of the week.
“Our priority is to assess the extent of the damage, map out the geographical location, population and devise suitable options on how best we can attend to the needs of the people,” Emergency Controller Col Vagi Oala said from Popondetta yesterday.
He admitted relief efforts had been slow but was confident that much would be achieved in the days ahead.
Oro Governor Suckling Tamanabae expressed frustration over delays in getting help to the people.
He said 214 people had already been reported dead, at least 40 were missing and thousands were waiting for assistance.
He said the survivors needed basic essentials such as food, clean water, blankets and medication amongst others.
He said even though the Government had given an undertaking, the negotiations to bring in relief supplies for the survivors were still continuing.
“Any delay could mean loss of more lives,” Mr Tamanabae said.
Ijivitari MP David Arore said “some doors need to be broken down” to get the K7 million in emergency funds allocated by the Government last week to Oro.
He said some major companies which had been supplying goods and services on credit might stop if they failed to receive payments soon.
Disaster officials in Popondetta last night confirmed the arrangement but said K500,000 had been paid into the disaster operating account by yesterday afternoon.
The official, who refused to be identified, also confirmed that major suppliers had been rendering goods and services on credit basis on the understanding that payments would be made.
The Ijivitari MP, whose electorate was one of the worst hit, said although there were reports funding had been released, there was no money in the disaster trust account for emergency use.
Col Oala said he was meeting with representatives from the various departments and organisations such as the Works, Telikom, AusAid, police, Australian Defence Force, PNG Power and non-governmental organisations every night to discuss the progress of the relief operations.
The Australian Defence Force have set up two operation centres in Tufi and Itokama.
Two Blackhawk helicopters are ferrying food, water and medical supplies from there to the affected areas, especially Ijivitari electorate which is among the worst hit.
Col Oala said about 120 bags of rice were airlifted to Karaisa, Gogorode, Kinjaki and Bareji and some areas in lower Musa in Ijivitari along with medical supplies.
Another 1,000 bags of rice were delivered to six wards in the Oro Bay LLG and Popondetta Urban LLG over the past three days.
PNG Power is still rationing power to Popondetta due to limited fuel while the PNG Water Board has started drilling to establish bore water systems.
Over at the Popondetta General Hospital, diarrhoea and respiratory cases were on the increase.