Oil Search swings into relief mode

OIL Search has started a comprehensive assessment of the extent of damage and the need to deliver urgent aid and medical support to many communities in Southern Highlands and Hela.
This is being done in coordination with relief efforts of government agencies and other parties.
Oil Search managing director Peter Botten yesterday said the company had been focused on ensuring its staff and facilities were safe and that important infrastructure such as camps, roads and airstrips were made serviceable to support relief efforts following Monday’s magnitude 7.5 earthquake and aftershocks.
“Our camp facilities sustained significant damage and it has been necessary to send home all non-essential staff as remaining infrastructure would not support, feed and accommodate all our staff,” he said.
“We have had to evacuate more than 20 field locations, with more than 600 people demobilised in the last 48 hours.
“We are now addressing the urgent needs of our communities by providing food, water, basic accommodation needs and where necessary medical support in conjunction with the National Disaster and Emergency Management Centre, provincial governments and our partners, including the Oil Search Foundation.
“Assessment of urgent infrastructure repairs, including roads and bridges, continues in order to facilitate delivery of aid materials for reconstruction.
“We have also offered our Moro base as a coordination point for delivery of aid into the area and also the use of helicopters for distribution to communities in the area.
“We are working with our community leaders to coordinate delivery of relief. We have offered to provide logistics support to the relief efforts to ensure that people, even in the most remote areas, get their appropriate support and supplies.
“We all know that this is an urgent programme and much work needs to be carried out to provide relief to thousands of people in the impacted provinces.”
Oil Search and the Oil Search Foundation continue to support the Hela health authority to provide essential medical services to the people of the province who have been badly affected by the earthquake.
Following a visit to Tari, Botten, who is also the chairman of the Hela health authority, said he was pleased to find water and
electricity restored, medical supplies stocked and doctors, nurses and health works treating patients.
The health authority, under the leadership of Dr James Kintwa, is undertaking a detailed assessment of all affected health facilities, Botten said.
He said that Oil Search was committed to working under the leadership of the national and provincial governments and would ensure that all efforts were coordinated with other partners and donors.’’