Drought areas in Western to get supplies

 THE worst drought-affected communities in Western will be given priority to receive food supplies, says acting provincial administrator Dr Modowa Gumoi.

“We are now dispatching food relief supplies to the affected areas in the three districts,” Gumoi said last Friday.

“We will give priorities to the most affected areas. We will start from the rural areas and work towards the urban centres. I think the urban centres – Daru, Balimo and Kiunga – are okay.”

Gumoi said the private sector and development partners had provided food and logistical support – all worth about K17 million.

He said the Mineral Resources Development company has assisted. 

“The Mineral Resource Development Company has given food assistance for South Fly. 

They were airlifted to Daru in last November,” Gumoi said.

“Exxon Mobil has shifted over 4000 rice bags to the North Fly. This is specifically for their project footprint area that includes Normad, Olsobib and Ketu-Elevara.”

Gumoi said Ok Tedi Mining Ltd had given them the biggest assistance of K10 million for rice.

“They have started shipping in food supplies. Five containers have been shifted to South Fly and are now in Daru, four containers for Middle Fly are in Balimo and six containers to North Fly are in Kiunga,” Gumoi said.

He said part of the delay was because of logistics which was really expensive in Western.