Donation of shelter goes out to help 18,000 people

By TREVOR WAHUNE

THE International Organisation for Migration (IOM) yesterday donated shelter and other items to earthquake-affected areas in Hela and Southern Highlands.
IOM and United Nations migrations agency chief of mission Lance Bonneau said the package was funded by USAid and was one of three shipments to Hela and Southern Highlands for 3700 households of about 18,000 people.
“I just flew back (on Monday) after being in the earthquake-affected areas for the past couple of days, we have seen a lot of destruction to households.
“They have no access to food, the water situation is bad, you could see the discolouration where traditional water supplies and rain catchments were damaged,” Bonneau said.
Bonneau said the contribution USAid made to IOM was from a US$100,000 grant that enabled IOM to “reach-out” to households.
“We had a team going to Tari and areas around there, and what we observed were schools and health facilities that were damaged. There is extensive damage, displacement and also trauma,” he said.
“The people that I spoke to were still traumatised.
“They would like to return from the care centres to their homes and traditional villages but they say that the situation there is still unstable, and so they are very fearful.”