Villagers whose homes burnt down get help

THE Huon Gulf district development authority has allocated K250,000 for relief supplies to resettle people at Kela village, in Salamaua, whose houses were burnt down during fighting.
District administrator Moses Wanga said that only food rations were delivered to Kela over the weekend. Roofing iron, gardening and construction tools and household utensils were yet to be delivered.
Wanga said service providers had delayed their part to deliver materials to the district office to be sorted out for packaging according to family heads before being transported to Kela.
“The materials will be delivered soon after all the required things are collected” Wanga said.
He said that government processes in accessing funds and paying service providers to meet clearance procedures so the funds can be released.
MP Ross Seymour was outspoken when the materials were delayed. He said he expected everything to be delivered during the past weekend.
Officer in charge Brian Mogu said the funding covered food, basic household items, gardening and construction tools and roofing irons and nails.
“Each family will receive 24 sheets of 12ft (3.65m) roofing irons to rebuild family homes,” Mogu said.
Mogu said assessment revealed that 50 houses were burnt during the fighting, two of the houses were unoccupied.
“Actually, 48 families were affected and are in need but the DDA is targeting 50 houses” Mogu said. He said that of the 48 families, 268 were adult males and 100 females, 49 boys and 48 girls. He said that PNG Red Cross had also provided some family kits.