Flood victims to get help

 THE Southern Highlands province disaster office is trying to help flood victims living along the banks of the Yelo River, a provincial disaster official said.

Martin Pat, the Southern Highlands province disaster office coordinator, was responding to a report in The National yesterday about complaints by residents regarding the lack of relief assistance to the flood victims.

He urged the flood victims to lodge their complaints with  the district office or the Mendi disaster centre before rushing to the media.

 Pat said he had been in Port Moresby for two weeks to follow up on the relief assistance and has had some favourable responses from government departments.

He hoped they can assist with the bridge infrastructure through the local level governments and the provincial disaster office.

Pat said Garry Alphonse,  from Tindua village should have lodged his complaint to the district office or the Mendi disaster office.

He said a supplementary report on what Alphonse was alluding to – the Yelo river foot bridges – had been given to the National Executive Council and the acting director of  the National Disaster Office Martin Mose 

He said the Government through the National Disaster Office and the Works Department had built a permanent bridge. 

The National Disaster Centre has given K500,000 relief funding.

Pat said the work of the disaster office was to co-ordinate and conduct assessments.  

It was the provincial government’s responsibility to cater for the relief efforts.

Pat also thanked the Government, Works Minister Francis Awesa, Esso Highlands, South West Air, Works Department’s Mendi office, the Mendi Catholic Archdiocese and the provincial government.