Authority delivering relief supplies

MOROBE’s Markham Development Authority and the provincial disaster coordination office are still working together to deliver relief supplies to flooded communities, says an official.
Markham administrator Bohage Bebinaso said the district and the disaster team did provide some relief supplies to the affected communities of a landslip in Wantoat that occurred in early January and the Zumim flood that occurred in late January.
Bebinaso said the district administration was aware of how affected the communities were, therefore, with the help of the disaster office, they had delivered relief supplies, along with conducting disaster awareness.
“We are just waiting for the approval of the chief secretary and the prime minister, regarding our submission, so we can access funding to assist our people,” he said.
“We did assist them, but that was just food rations and tarpaulins.
“We will have to provide them with cocoa and coffee seedlings through the district’s agriculture and livestock department office.
“That is to help them regain their feet.”
Regarding the flood at Zumim that damaged the National Okuk Highway along the Lae, Highlands and Madang that lasted for a month at least, Bebinaso said it was the responsibility of the Works and Highways Department to look into road maintenance.
“We are only to look into humanitarian relief and to assist where we can,” he said.
Provincial disaster coordinator Charlie Masange said they were awaiting funding.
Masange said districts should work closely with his office now because the country was facing disaster.
Meanwhile, the landslip at Umbaku village in the Leron/Wantoat claimed four lives and caused massive destruction, while the Zumim flood damaged the National Okuk Highway, destroyed homes, affected cash crops and garden foods.