US naval ship begins ENB visit

 THE Pacific Partnership programme started for East New Britain yesterday when medical officers and other service providers from the US Naval medical ship MV Mercy stopped in parts of the province to provide humanitarian services.

Speaking at the launching of the programme on board the floating hospital yesterday in Rabaul, US Ambasador to PNG Walter North said the partnership was significant to the people of PNG, especially in provinces such as ENB that were  more exposed to natural disasters.

He said this partnership was vital as it would go far in strengthening the relationship PNG had with the US and other collaborating countries in the programme.

According to the Pacific Partnership 2015 mission commander Captain Christopher  Engdahl, the overall cost of the programme was more than US$39 million (K104 million) but it was hard to put a price tag on it.

“I think for Pacific Partnership, it goes beyond a price tag. What we do here is very important that we cannot really put a cost tag, the money is well spent and we get so many good things out of such a programme.” he said.

Engdahl said the programme was a collaborative mission to mitigate disasters in the Pacific.

“The Ring of Fire with typhoons, earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis calls for the need for all partners to get together and learn how to work together to build resiliency and capacity,” he said.

He said that this year the programme focused more on women, peace and security.

This, he said, would bring half of the population into engagement for disaster resiliency and allowing women to participate.