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The ground is still shaking at the site of the landslide in Yambali village, Enga Province.
photo: Juho Valta, UNDP Papua New Guinea
Relatives of those buried alive by a devastating landslide in Papua New Guinea’s remote Enga Province are still lying in state on the rocks where their dead relatives were buried.
The severe landslide that occurred in the middle of the night on May 24 killed hundreds of people and displaced thousands.
The disaster devastated the entire community.
But nearly two months later, community leader Miok Michael said there is still no proper resettlement plan coordinated for the victims.
“The national government has declared the landslide area a burial area and people are leaving there. (Sleeping on the graves of their loved ones) is what they do. They keep calling for help, they keep crying,” Miock told New Zealand’s Pacific Radio on Thursday.
“If there was a relocation plan, the affected people were not properly communicated and were not aware of the plan,” he said.
“The delays were caused by misinformation and lack of understanding between the local affected people and the committee responsible for how the aid/resources should be used to benefit the survivors and their future.”
He said there were problems on many levels.
“We have some issues in our community and the people who are most affected are women and children,” Michael said.
Michael said there had also been fighting between the tribes, but that eased last week as major efforts were made by all parties towards reconciliation.
He added: “The rescue efforts of the rescue teams for the landslide victims have not met their expectations.”
“What the authorities need to do is first provide them with a place to resettle, so that they can settle down, and then take the next step to address the recovery issue.”
Polygamy is an important practice in Enga Province, said Justin McMahon of Rescue International.
“Community relations engagement is definitely still an issue,” Michael said.
He said communication around aid to polygamous families remained an issue, with one wife receiving aid but others not getting it, for example.
In July 2024, a peaceful protest broke out in Porgera against the cutting of the highway to Porgera due to the Yambali landslide.
photo: Photo courtesy of Miok Michael
Protests in Porgera
This week, the people of Porgera held a peaceful protest on July 16, calling on the authorities to immediately open the road to Porgera which was cut off from the outside world due to landslides.
Students, medical workers and residents of Bogra took to the streets, calling on the government to immediately open the road to Bogra.
They said the lack of a steady supply of goods by land has seen an uncontrollable surge in the cost of goods and services.
“The people have suffered the most and they are asking the government to urgently prioritize opening access roads to help victims, schools, health posts, government services and civil servants,” Michael said.
The Bogra bypass project will start in July 2024.
photo: Photo courtesy of Miok Michael
Where is the road?
The Porgera bypass is far from complete.
Michael said he has spoken to contractors who told him it will take another four to six months to complete the bypass.
The main road to Pogera was blocked by the Yambali landslide, leaving community leaders with no choice but to airlift food to help the estimated 80,000 people affected.
“People were calling for help,” Michael said.
“The company (New Porgera Mine) also helped them deliver food via helicopter.”
Fuel is brought to Pogra via rubber pipes, he said, while food is flown in by helicopter because the land is too rocky to grow vegetable gardens.
There are fears for thousands of people in Porgera region Starvation Their only way to get food is by helicopter.
“They are still building a bypass route to the other side of the Porgera mine,” Michael added.
The Bogra bypass project will start in July 2024.
photo: Photo courtesy of Miok Michael
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