O’Neill clarifies statement on Hanuabada ‘resettlement’

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill is keen on settling the 200-plus victims of a recent fire at Hanuabada back into their homes once reconstruction is complete.
In a statement yesterday to clarify a report about resettlement or relocation for the people who were affected by the fire, O’Neill said: “It is important to be clear resettlement planning relates only to resettling people back into their homes, on their land, once reconstruction is complete.” He said the victims must be supported and their lives returned to normal.
O’Neill said the restoration would go even further to improve services, including water and sanitation, so that lives were improved and public safety enhanced.
Hanuabada Village Fire Committee chairman Dadi Toka Jr
stressed that there was no resettlement or relocation plan for Hanuabada.
Toka said village houses that were destroyed in the fire would be rebuilt and not relocated or resettled.
The committee also held a press conference onsite yesterday to clear the air of the misreporting by certain media outlets about the
relocation of the Hanuabada village.
Meanwhile, donations in cash and kind have continued to flood in to the village to help rebuild the homes. Toka said that the fire committee had raised more than K600,000 so far.
“This morning (yesterday), the Deputy Prime Minister Charles Abel and Minister for Housing John Kaupa came down and
gave the appeal K30,000,” Toka said.
“The Chinese Association gave K120,000 to the appeal and we have had a lot of people, groups, organisations, churches and Non Governmental Organisations coming in to support us.”
The Mineral Resources Development Company also donated K10,000 and clothes to the victims
The United States Embassy in Port Moresby and Coca-Cola Ltd also joined to provide relief aid.
The embassy donated bales of rice, noodles, biscuits, clothing, household goods, shoes, and toiletries and Coca-Cola donated 20 cases of water.