EDIS Number: FL-20140718-44591-PNG
Date / time: 18/07/2014 03:39:56 [UTC]
Event: Flood
Area: Indonesian archipelago
Country: Papua New Guinea
State/County:
Location: [Southern Highlands along the Highlands Highway]
Number of Deads: N/A
Number of Injured: N/A
Number of Infected: N/A
Number of Missing: N/A
Number of Affected: N/A
Number of Evacuated: 45000 person(s)
Damage level: Large
Description:
More than 45,000 people have been affected in the Gulf and Southern Highlands provinces as torrential rain continues unabated, giving rise to floods that are causing widespread damage. There have been no reports of lives being lost but a National Disaster office report revealed that 34,000 people in Southern Highlands and 11,359 in the Gulf province have been directly affected by the floods caused by the rains in the past month. The report said Southern Highlands Governor William Powi had committed K500,000 (US$204,999) for relief recovery in the affected areas in the Southern Highlands For Gulf Province the National Disaster Centre has released K200, 000 (US$81,999) with 60 tonnes of relief supplies which are already being delivered to the affected areas. Last week Prime Minister Peter O'Neill announced that the Government will make available K5 million (US$3.6 million) plus relief supplies for the two provinces.
Two separate reports for the two provinces by National Disaster office stated that food gardens and infrastructures, including bridges, have been destroyed by the floods. The reports said rainfall has also triggered landslides in various parts of the Southern Highlands along the Highlands Highway. Specific areas affected included 34,000 people in Imbonggu, Ialibu, Pangia and Nipa Kutubu areas. For Gulf Province, the continuous heavy rain since the second week of June has caused extensive flooding along and within the surrounding areas of Purari River in the Baimuru LLG of Kikori district. The river rose up to 10 metres, bursting its banks and affecting villages along the banks. The worst affected villages are Wabo, Uru and Uraru situated at the upper stream, and Mapaio along the lower stream of the river. Villages along and within the surrounding areas of Purari River, Baimuru LLG, Kikori district, Uraru, Ura, Wabo, Subu, Poroi, Ebala, Mapai, Mapaio, Kapuna, Pakema and Ipigo. Several houses in Wabo, Uru and Uraru villages were completely washed away, forcing families to move to higher grounds to live in make shift camps while some are residing with their other family members. Food gardens and cash crops were inundated and clean water sources contaminated by rising water levels, thus affecting their livelihood.
