Marape pledges K10mil relief support for Tonga

National

PAPUA New Guinea will provide K10 million worth of relief and reconstruction assistance to Tonga following an undersea volcanic eruption last month, says Prime Minister James Marape.
PNG has also been notified that four of its nationals living in Tonga at the disaster have sought the assistance of the New Zealand government and contact with them was being established to assess their status.
Marape said in a statement yesterday that the PNG Government would provide a two-phased assistance package, beginning with K5 million for urgent life-saving disaster relief supplies such as water, tents, food and emergency supplies.
It will be coordinated through the National Disaster Office in conjunction with the Department of Defence for the delivery of relief assistance.
“The second phase (K5 million) will be for rehabilitation, restoration and reconstruction of the lives, communities badly affected by the under-sea volcanic eruption and Tonga in general,” Marape said.
The second phase will be channelled through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to be made available to the disaster relief effort at an appropriate time.
Marape noted the long standing historical and traditional relations PNG had with Tonga dating back to the 18th Century (1900s) with the arrival of the first Tongan missionaries to PNG.
“It is the true Pacific Way, as a family member of the Pacific Islands Forum for us to come to the aid of our other brothers and sisters in their time of need.”
PNG’s aid assistance follows an appeal by the World Health Organisation’s country office in Tonga for bilateral, regional and multilateral partners to look at financial support as the best option towards supporting Tonga with its recovery and re-construction efforts from the disaster.