Northern villages hit by floods

By ELLEN TIAMU
THREE months of continuous rain have flooded many parts of Northern province, with the government already allocating millions of kina in disaster relief.
But many locals are sceptical about help reaching the villages because of what had happened in the past in the disaster-prone province.
Johnchan Begada, of Iaudari village, in Ioma district, said floods had again ravaged many villages, with houses and food gardens destroyed and villagers running out of clean drinking water.
Streams that were their sources of drinking water have been contaminated with silt and
mud.
Begada, who lives in Lae and had just returned from holidays in his village, said the 10 villages between Ginemai and Sia village were badly affected by floods
after three months of rain.
He said young children were most susceptible and it would not be long before they started getting sick from waterborne diseases.
While villagers welcomed the injection of government funds, they said they wanted accountability as many times relief did not reach the grassroots and most affected people.