Relief supplies moved after break-in

By PETER WARI
THE remaining relief supplies for disaster affected areas in Southern Highlands has been moved to a new warehouse in the outskirts of Mendi town after the previous warehouses were broken into.
During the troubles in Mendi which resulted in the burning of an aircraft, the governor’s residence and the courthouse a week ago, undisclosed amount of relief supplies stored at two warehouses in town were ransacked in the night.
Deputy administrator Fiebik Kilip said the relief supplies have been moved to Oiyarep village, in the Imbonggu district, where they were safe and secure.
“Provincial disaster emergency adviser Benson Iabo and public servants who have been working in the disaster command centre will continue to support the operation and management of the disaster as it winds down from the relief aid phase,” he said.
“Continuous communication and coordination from the emergency controller with the provincial administration must continue as we move closer to the restoration and reconstruction phase.”
Kilip, a member of the provincial disaster and emergency committee, said despite the mayhem and destruction of several government services, public servants would stand united to ensure the disaster work continues.
He said five sawmills have been received from the controller’s office for the reconstruction phase.
“Trainings will be organised for locals and timbers will be milled to assist schools and other institutions rebuild their infrastructures damaged in the Feb 26 earthquake. The milling of timbers will be done in
all districts in the province,” Kilip said.
The warehouses were broken into by people taking advantage of the situation in town.
The relief supplies were for villages affected by the earthquake in the Bosave and Kutubu local level government area in the Nipa-Kutubu electorate.