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Locals dig during search and rescue work at the landslide site in Yambali Village, Maipumulitaka District, Enga Province, Papua New Guinea on May 30.
photo: AFP/Emmanuel Ellaria
Papua New Guinea authorities and humanitarian groups continue to face increasing challenges in supporting survivors of Papua New Guinea’s deadly landslides, most of whom are women and children.
Two weeks after a landslide in Yambali village in Enga province, humanitarian access continues to be hampered by poor roads, inter-tribal tensions and new evacuation orders.
Although authorities have ended the search for bodies and health officials have deemed it unsafe to search due to the risk of contamination and disease, some locals are still ignoring warnings and continuing their desperate search.
At least 670 people are currently considered missing.
There is no official death toll from the landslides, but the latest figures are down from the more than 2,000 deaths initially announced by the Papua New Guinea government.
However, the United Nations Development Programme said aid groups were directly supporting 1,650 internally displaced people.
Matt Bagosi, a UN humanitarian affairs expert and adviser, said about 8,000 people in two communities in the area were affected.
Humanitarian group CARE said many challenges remained, including a lack of road access, rising tribal tensions and a 72-hour evacuation order issued by the local government this week.
Poor road conditions have cut off access to some surrounding villages, and aid groups say residents of those villages also need assistance.
“It seems that it is not safe to reopen the road. So the side road will have to be opened. The original road may be declared a cemetery,” said Bugsy.
World Vision, UNICEF, disaster relief organizations and the United Nations are supporting relief efforts in the affected areas of Yambali district where the landslide occurred.
CARE is conducting rapid gender assessments to understand the specific needs of women and girls affected by the disaster.
The organization is also preparing to provide water, sanitation and hygiene support and dedicated safe spaces for children traumatized by the landslide and its aftermath.
Aid groups have also expressed concern for pregnant women and children who have been severely affected.
“Women affected by the landslides told us they had no extra clothes or food. The weather is starting to get very cold in the highlands. The rainy season is also approaching,” said Doreen Fernando, director of the Cares PNG project.
Humanitarian groups are also caring for dozens of children and orphans affected by landslides in Papua New Guinea.
“Many mothers told us that their children started to fall ill. There were also outbreaks of diarrhoea due to the lack of sanitation and hygiene options,” Fernando said.
Angela Kearney, UNICEF Representative in Papua New Guinea, told Morning Report They also set up a tent for the children to play.
“We have set up a child-friendly space where they can dance, sing, play and draw. We have trained volunteers. The children’s faces are filled with sadness and grief. By working with the government and NGOs, we will help them.”
The evacuation orders forced people to displace to neighboring areas, which exacerbated pre-existing tribal tensions in the region.
“We have a situation where people are being told it’s not safe to stay where they are and that the landslides may continue. But they have nowhere to go,” Fernando said.
Kearney said it’s difficult for people to leave the area because “there’s a lot of trauma and emotional distress associated with being near loved ones.”
New Zealand and Australia support
New Zealand and Australia also provided a total of NZ$4 million in financial support and sent disaster relief experts to assist.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said: “Australia stands with the people of Papua New Guinea.”
Earlier this week, New Zealand geotechnical experts in Papua New Guinea recommended the immediate evacuation of a group of people at risk of another landslide and declared the site a “no-go zone”.
“The land in the Yambali district remains unstable, which means we cannot set up a base on the ground and our aid trucks have to travel five hours a day from their base in Wabag, the capital of Enga province, across poor road conditions,” said Fernando.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand deployment ends
Meanwhile, a team of six urban search and rescue experts from Fire and Emergency New Zealand arrived on site last week to conduct a geotechnical assessment of the landslide site and surrounding area.
Their work included mapping hazards and risks, and during their deployment the team worked closely with GNS scientists in New Zealand as part of a mission led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the request of the Papua New Guinea Government.
Fire and Emergency Management Agency state commander Russell Wood said the team completed its assignment and reported its findings to the provincial government.
Wood said they sent a team of experienced technical experts to carry out a specific mission requested by Papua New Guinea authorities after the landslide.
The team will return to New Zealand today (Friday).
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