Agency hosts safe shelter workshop

SAFE shelters are an important investment in disaster-stricken areas in the country, a workshop has been told.
The two-day safe shelter workshop in Lae was attended by disaster coordinators and provincial building board workers from the eight most-at-risk disaster provinces.
It was conducted by the International Organisation and attended by officials from Morobe, Madang, Milne Bay, Oro, East New Britain, West New Britain, Jiwaka and Chimbu.
Facilitator Fabian Prideaux said the training would enable the officials to carry out community-based awareness in their provinces on the importance of safe shelters.
“Every rural community in the country has a different solution to housing and their own solutions to the problem,” Prideaux said.
“The training would help participants to facilitate similar workshops.
“We are looking at how traditional and modern housing skills can be incorporated to minimise destruction during disasters in the rural and urban areas.”
Chimbu disaster coordinator Michael Ire Apa said landslides affected lives and homes.
“Many have lost their homes to such natural disasters,” he said.
Apa said the training was handy because it taught government officials techniques that can be used with the available resources in the community to build safe shelters to minimise the damage to lives and properties.