Officers sent to Manus, Wewak to assess damage

NINE officers from the National Disaster Centre (NDC) have been sent to Manus and Wewak to help provincial disaster coordinators assess communities affected by King tides, an official says.
NDC director Col Karl Wrakonei said they would conduct assessments on the damage and needs for the most affected areas in the two provinces.
He said he expected the teams to complete the assessment in a week and report to the NDC so they could provide immediate assistance through the national emergency operation centre.
Wrakonei said four officers were deployed to Wewak and five to Manus last week and were scheduled to return mid next week.
“In PNG, provinces in Mamose and New Guinea Islands are prone to this climate and natural events during this time of the year,” he said.
Wrakonei said last Sunday, they received disaster reports from Manus, Bougainville and East Sepik that some coastal communities were severely affected by King tides.
He said the tide rose by as much as five metres in some areas inundating fresh water sources, destroying gardens and damaging homes. Wrakonei said this was a normal wet season and would continue to March.
He said the national emergency operation centre was in operation and had conveyed an emergency meeting with disaster management stakeholders, including National Weather Service, UNDP, the International Organisation for Migration, PNG Red Cross Society and Food and Agriculture Organisation.