Prime Minister (PM) James Marape visited the disaster-hit district communities of Angoram and Wosera-Gawi in East Sepik Province (ESP) during the Easter Sunday reassuring them of National Government support as they come to terms with the disaster effects including the disaster hit mid last Month.
PM Marape from Lae, Morobe Province after a program in Lae flew on a helicopter to the district of Wosera-Gawi, and escorted by his wife Rachael Marape who is partly from ESP from Wosera-Gawi Disrict.
Marape saw the community and assured his government’s support and made an aerial assessment of the damages.
The people living along the Sepik River survived a major flooding but their food gardens drowned in continuous rain swelling the river, in addition a 6.9 magnitude earthquake hit the province, 38kms from Ambunti Government Station.
PM Marape conveyed his sympathies to the victims and said K2million has been released by the National Treasury for immediate relief assistance while the ESP Government completes its full damage assessment report of impact disaster where the national government will step funds to assist in its restoration efforts.
Over K10 million in total is distributed to all District Development Authorities (DDA) and local level Government (LLG), on top of the K2million disaster relief package.
The distribution is as follows; K2 million each will be released to ESPG, Wosera-Gawi, Angoram. And K1million each to Ambunti Drekikir K1 million, Yangoru-Sausia K1 million, Wewak DDA, Vanimo DDA, Nuku DDA, and K500, 000 each to Maprik Urban and Gawi LLG.
PM Marape stressed despite ongoing politics, we must put our differences aside and recognize the needs of our people in the affected areas, urging sepik members of parliament and the provincial government to collaborate with the national government to address this matter.
“Government must go to communities at the earliest immediately. LLG and provincial governments and DDA are the arms of the national government on the ground to empower them to assist our people with immediate relief and care as well as next stage of restoration and development,” said Marape.
PM also travelled to Gumine and Gembgl in Chimbu Province after a hazardous landslide occurred burying homes and food gardens and cutting off vial road services.
The visit resembled a similar agenda to comfort and reassure communities of the government’s immediate relief assistance.