No outbreaks after Aitape flood

 By SHEILA MALKEN

THERE have been no reports of disease outbreak in the Aitape District, West Sepik, despite heavy rain and flooding last week, according to the office of Aitape-Lumi MP, Patrick Pruaitch.

Executive officer Dominic Meidom said drinking water wells and creeks were affected during the flood but most people refrained from using them.

He said they had been trying to get relief assistance from the Government for the affected people.

“Nearly all affected areas lost their food gardens. Foods like taro, kaukau, pumpkin, cassava and yams  were harvested before the actual harvesting session,” Meidom said.

He said there are about 38,000 people in the Aitape east local level government area and many of them lost their food gardens during the flooding.

“Apart from the garden food, we rely heavily on sago however bags of sagos were lost in the flood,” he said.

Meidom said a team of electoral officers were assessing the aftermath of the disaster. 

“They have visited those affected areas and by today, a report on the aftermath of the flood will be filed than we should know how many people lost their gardens and if there is any disease outbreak.” He added that seven primary schools, including Aitape High, St Ignatius Secondary, Raihu School of Nursing and the Aitape Vocational Training Institute, were affected by the disaster.

“All schools were suspended last Wednesday and some returned to normalcy on Friday, while all of them resumed again on Monday,” Meidom said.

“So far, we have not yet heard from the national government for funding assistance, however we need assistance for our people with water tanks to avoid any future water borne disease related to such flooding.