Disaster team accused of failing to respond to relief supplies

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By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
THE Emergency Disaster Restoration Team (EDRT) has been accused of failing to respond to the delivery of some K25,000 worth of aid supplies donated by Indonesians to earthquake victims in Papua New Guinea.
Sun Bird Airways chief executive Officer Capt David Inau told The National yesterday that the EDRT was informed of supplies more than a year ago but “it ignored our requests to have the supplies collected for the victims”.
As a result, the supplies were left rotting away in the Sun Bird Airways hangar since May last year.
The 2.5 tonnes of supplies, comprising bags of rice, noodles, biscuits and an assortment of sundries, were donated by Indonesian Papuans in Sentani for the 40,000 Papua New Guineans in Western, Gulf, Southern Highlands, Hela and Enga affected by the Feb 26, 2018, 7.5 magnitude earthquake.
Inau said he had on numerous times requested the transport coordinator working with the emergency controller Dr Bill Hamblin to collect the relief supplies that were brought to West Sepik.
“I contacted him by phone and asked him to coordinate with Hamblin and organise the transport of the supplies to the earthquake victims. But there was no response,” he added.
Jayapura Papua New Guinea Consul-General Geoffrey Wiri also lamented the lack of response or action from the EDRT.
“I met with Inter-Government Relations Minister Kevin Isifu and Emergency Services director Martin Mose at their respective offices in Port Moresby about these supplies stored in Vanimo. But still there was no response from them,” Wiri said.
Despite several attempts by The National, both Isifu and Mose could not be reached for comments.
Meanwhile, Hamblin said that he was not aware of the supplies in Vanimo.
“No one ever advised my office of the existence of the supplies. We received a US$500,000 (K1.6 million) in donations from the Indonesian Government for the earthquake relief fund,” he said.
“And these supplies (in Vanimo) are obviously something done locally.
“We had also specifically indicated that we did not want goods or clothes as the cost of transport far outweighs the cost of purchase in Mount Hagen, Mendi or Tari.
“But we will follow up with the delivery and see if the supplies are still fit for consumption.”