It has been over a week now and the people of Manam Island in Madang Province are still waiting for disaster relief supplies to reach them.
Close to 3000 Manam islanders are in desperate need of medical support, food, and clean water supply after their food gardens and water sources were destroyed by ash falls when the Manam volcano erupted on Wednesday 20th October, 2021.
Around 7am last Wednesday morning the Manam volcano erupted, spewing ash with scoria of about 1-2 km above the volcano.
Villages from Mandauri to Baliau were affected by the eruption in which houses, gardens and food crops were all destroyed and water sources contaminated by the volcano ashes however no casualties or deaths were reported.
A team from the Rabaul Volcano Observatory accompanied by Iabu LLG President Kenny Boli is currently on Manam Island to carry out an assessment on the extent of the damages caused by the eruption.
The reports once completed and compiled will be presented to the local MP Robert Naguri and the Provincial Administrator for relief action.
The islanders’ immediate need at this time is access to clean water, food, medical support, and temporary shelter for families whose houses were destroyed.
According to one such misplaced islander, it has been over a week now and no health officials, education officers, law and order, disaster or other relevant government body has gone to the island to carry out specific assessments of the current situation.
The recent eruption has brought to light the plight of approximately 9000 Manam islanders living in the care centres for over 17 years following the major eruptions in late 2004 to early 2005.
These displaced islanders are still waiting on the government to resettle them to the hinterlands of Bogia on the mainland.
While the displaced settlers await resettlement, another 3000 islanders that are still on the Manam island find themselves displaced as well and are now in desperate need of help.
Not having access to proper shelter, food and water for over a week now has forced the people of Manam Island to sound an immediate cry for help and intervention to the Madang Provincial Government and the member for Bogia, Mr Robert Naguri.