November 2, 2023 – Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

Local communities along the Purari River in Gulf Province, have been greatly affected by the recent flooding and king tides, destroying arable farming land, clean drinking water and land for shelter.

Josephine Keaia from Apiope describes the effect on day to day life after the flood:

“Taim flood ikam, mipla ol mama had lo painim fis na mekim wok saksak. Current lo wara i fast tumas na mipla had lo painim fis. Na saksak tu, mipla no paitim saksak bicos wara ino klin, tupla wik nau mipla stap lo haus. Lo side blo aid post, mipla nogat aid post, mipla sa pul no kanu o kisim dinghy na go lo narapla ples. Sampla lain ol filim skin hot, skin blo ol itchy na nus wara. Lo nau, mipla usim tank wara lo wasim ol baby na lo kuk. Flood i bagarapim ol garden blo mipla, olgeta samting, wara rausim”.

Jimmy Koivi expressed similar sentiments, he and his wife rely on their garden for income:

“During the flood we could see logs floating down the river. Planti diwai na planti ol banana kam down lo wara. Displa flood i mekim. Lo mi yet, banana em income blo me. Taim ol kamap mau now, misis blo mi sa wokim banana cake na salim, sampla taim mipla sa katim na salim lo ples”.

In response, Papua LNG (herein referred to as the Project) have launched a Disaster Relief Mission in line with the request from Gulf Provincial Disaster office for Papua LNG to assist those community close to our Project living along the small Purari up to Wabo (Uraru) and including Mapaio, with food rations and urgent medical supplies.

In coordination with the Gulf Provincial Authorities, the Project will look to provide some further logistics support to the Government when the Government is ready for the distribution of their flood relief efforts out to the wider affected Purari delta communities.

The mission will begin at Apiope village, at the mouth of the Purari, with Project staff distributing food rations and medical supplies, to be handed over to a Community Health Worker based at the aid post/health centre in the village. The Mission commenced with on Tuesday 1 November 2023, first with awareness followed by distribution.  

Josephine expressed her gratitude for the relief supplies in food and household goods: “Displa liklik halivim yupla kisim ikam lo kaikai, bai halivim mipla lo survive na givim taim lo ol garden blo mipla lo kam bek gen.”

“Nau yet, displa halivim kam, em bai relivim mipla na givim taim lo gaden lo recover. Mi tok tenk yu” said Jimmy Koivi about the disaster relief effort.

Donations will be carried out throughout 15 identified villages along the Purari, as a testimony of the Project’s value of standing together with the communities. 

Food items such as rice, canned food, noodles and biscuits, as well as essential items such as buckets, mosquito nets, anti-malaria, water purification tablets and milk formula are an example of the 30 tonnes worth of relief supplies currently being donated.