Islanders need to be evacuated

MORE than 2000 people from the Manam Island area in Madang are to be evacuated to care centres today as the island’s volcano restarted spewing smoke last week.
Yabu local level government president Kenny Boli said a team from the provincial government, including the acting administrator John Bivi, visited the island on Friday and arranged for the people to be evacuated.
“Fifteen hundred people from the villages near the volcano and 872 from neighbouring villages will be evacuated to temporary care centres today (on Monday),” Boli said.
“Warisi, Abaria, Boakure, Kolang and Dangele will be evacuated and will settle at care centres.
“As for the people from Baliau and Dugulaba villages, we are still looking for land to settle them.”
Boli said that they had not received any funding, but would work closely with the provincial government to ensure the 2395 people were moved to safety.
Madang Governor Peter Yama said his people were working towards evacuating the people affected back to temporary care centres on the mainland.