K50,000 relief after hail

ONE month after a 45-minute Christmas afternoon hailstorm wreaked havoc in Western Highlands’ Hagen Central, the National Disaster and Emergency Centre (NDEC) responded yesterday with a K50,000 relief.
For the more than 3,000 villagers, whose livelihood and survival had been severely jolted, it was a case of “better late than never”.
The weather natural disaster pelted three council wards – Trika-Memeka, Jiga Muguka and Kumuga-Paga – with ice the size of marbles, destroying gardens, root crops, houses and killing domesticated livestock.
Provincial disaster coordinator Robin Yakumb thanked NDEC for the relief assistance to the villagers.
Yakumb said that the damages done was big, but at least the little assistance given would help support the affected villagers.
“It will take about four months for the villagers to fully recover from the disaster,” he said, adding that the provincial office do not have any budget to help disaster victims.
Yakumb called on the provincial administration and its four Members of Parliament (MPs) to allocate financial aid for disasters in their annual budgets.
“Due to climate change, natural disasters can strike any time.

“The governor and MPs must prepare for such natural disasters to help their people.
“When such natural disasters strike, the provincial government and district development authority must be first to respond, instead of waiting for the NDEC,” he added.
Yakumb said that it was very shameful to ask assistance from outside when provincial authorities “cannot even extend any form of help to the people”.
“It is lucky that no one had died of hunger to date.
“But they must learn from this experience and start allocating funds in their annual budgets.
“The money is not enough to buy relief supplies for the more than 3,000 victims.
“They need more money for relief until they fully recover from their normal livelihood when their farms turn green again,” he added.
Jiga Mukuka ward councillor David Anis and Trika-Memeka representative Tony Nale also thanked NDEC for the relief money.
Anis also thanked The National for its continuous coverage on the hailstorm which captured attention nationwide and help finally arrived.
He said the money would be used to buy relief food supplies for those badly affected.