India sends humanitarian aid to landslide-hit Papua New Guinea

NEW DELHI: India sent a shipment of 19 tonnes of humanitarian and disaster relief (HADR) materials to Papua New Guinea's Enga province on Thursday, in response to a major landslide that claimed over 2,000 lives. The assistance provided includes food, temporary shelters, and medicines.

India announced a $1 million assistance to Papua New Guinea, the island nation and a member of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC), following the aftermath of the disaster, which was announced last month.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote on a post on X, "India-Papua New Guinea standing together in times of difficulty. In the wake of devastating landslide in Enga province of Papua New Guinea, had announced immediate assistance of USD 1 million to our close FIPIC partner. Pursuant to the announcement, a flight carrying approx 19 tons of HADR supplies departed for today."

"The aid comprises 13 tons of disaster relief material including temporary shelter, water tanks, hygiene kits, meals ready to eat; and 6 tons of emergency use medicine, medical equipment including dengue and malaria diagnostic kits, baby food etc," he added.

India has consistently supported Papua New Guinea during challenging times and natural disasters, such as the earthquake in 2018 and volcanic eruptions in 2019 and 2023.

The assistance underscores India's commitment to supporting its Pacific island partners through FIPIC, and promote cooperation and strengthen relationships with nations in the Pacific region.

According to CNN, citing estimates from the Chief of Mission for the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Papua New Guinea, the landslide in the Enga region of northern Papua New Guinea claimed the lives of more than 670 people.

The Papua New Guinea National Disaster Centre feared that as many as 2,000 people might have been buried in the landslide, with over 150 houses in Yambali village covered in debris, as reported by media.

(With inputs from agencies)

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