by Michelle Amba – EM TV News, Port Moresby
Residents of Port Moresby originaly hailing from the Simbu have set up a committee to raise funds to be directed towards El Nino relief in the province.
All proceeds including cash and kind raised from this drive will be handed over to the National Disaster Centre (NDC) for disbursement.
The first fundraising activity was held on Saturday during Simbu Provincial Day in Port Moresby.
While the NDC and other concerned agencies are yet to send a team to assess the magnitude of the damage caused by the dry spell, Simbus living and working in Port Moresby have started fundraising off their own bat.
Last week, NDC Acting Director, Martin Mose, said the organisation has K5 million allocated to carry out a nationwide assessment of the destruction. A submission will be made to the national government on how much will be needed for the relief exercise.
Committee member, Peter Korugl, said all donations received will be handed over to the NDC who will then coordinate with the Simbu Provincial Disaster Office to disburse funds to areas affected by the drought.
“We have some unconfirmed reports from the province that several people have lost their lives due to the dry weather,” said Korugl.
Chairman of the Fundraising Drive Committee, John Kama said “let me acknowledge and thank all those who visited our stall and contributed, and also those who threw in their support.”
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