Bougainville still awaiting promised govt assistance

 THE people of Bougainville are still waiting for the promised financial assistance from the Government for drought-affected areas, its disaster coordinator says.

Franklyn Lacey said they had not received any assistance from the Government allocation of K25 million last year despite submitting assessment reports to the National Disaster Centre.

“We were promised K7 million by the NDC after submitting our report and to date we are still waiting for the funding,” he said.

“While we are waiting for the promised assistance, the La Nina period has set in causing widespread destruction to food gardens. Our people are suffering silently. “I am appealing to the NDC to find some money to help us.

Lacey said food gardens in low-laying places were badly affected as most of the areas were waterlogged.

Most gardens could barely produce the expected results. “The situation has gone from bad to worse because our people are not able to get food from their gardens,” Lacey said. 

“Some people are surviving on alternate garden crops while others are living on store goods. Lacey said rain has also affected the region’s main source of income which is cocoa. 

He said this will effect people’s income because 85 per cent of Bougainvilleans relied on cocoa for income.