By ALISON ANIS
STRANDED relief supplies for the disaster-stricken villages of Rabaraba district in the Milne Bay province was expected to reach affected villagers yesterday.
Provincial Disaster Officer Eric Balaria said the relief goods worth about K30,000 could not be moved as expected due to shortage of fuel in the province.
“I have spoken with officials from the National Disaster Centre and have received a positive response that Australian Defence Force aircraft will be transporting 20 drums of fuel (Jet A1) into Alotau today morning,” Mr Balaria said.
He said due to the limited supply, Islands Petroleum Limited, the main supplier of fuel in the province had reserved fuel only for Airlines PNG to continue its operations while restrictions had been placed on other aircraft in the province.
The relief supplies which included food, tarpaulins and cooking utensils including other relief items would be enough to supply for four wards within the Daga area, Mr Balaria said.
“When we received more funds we will be able to purchase more supplies into affected areas.
“Other businesses in the province and locals in Alotau are helping in cash or kind with the relief operations,” he said.
Mr Balaria said their main concern now was to look at getting enough supplies to be able to sustain those who were displaced, the next three months.
NDC had committed a total amount of K200,000 to beef up relief operations in the province and this money would be available once the provincial disaster office had exhausted all the funds previously allocated.
There is a need to increase the amount of supplies to sustain those currently displaced.
Over 6,000 people from five LLGs in Rabaraba have been reportedly been affected due to the flood caused by the onset of Tropical Cyclone Guba two weeks ago.
Affected areas were Makama, Weraura, Daka, Biniguni and Pumani including the bordering Kewansasap and Gegerawa in Oro province.
Mr Balaria also reported that they had received reports of diarrhoea outbreak in the Kamaturu village in Daga but were not able to confirm the number of the people affected.