Following the natural disasters that hit East Sepik Province and damaged properties, homes, and even injured and claimed a number of lives, leaving people without food and safe drinking water, the Provincial Administrator and the chairman of the Provincial disaster committee, Samson Torovi has declared a State Of Emergency in East Sepik, under the National Disaster Act, section 13, and powers of the provincial disaster committee vested upon him.
“This declaration authorizes the mobilization of all available resources, state and locally to provide the necessary assistance in the response, recovery and mitigation of said emergencies. It also calls for the activation of the provincial disaster emergency response plan,” Torovi stated.
“The state of emergency will remain in effect until further notice.”
Mr Torovi stated that all departments and agencies in the province were urged to operate in accordance with the Provincial Emergency Operations Plan and the directives of the Provincial Disaster Management Office.
The Provincial member Allan Bird has visited some of the affected areas and sent a word out to his people to put together an assessment report from their villages and wards and get the ward member to forward it to the respective LLG president or manager.
He said this information will help them to formulate an appropriate response as soon as possible to provide relief assistance to the affected people.
Bird said ESPG has enough funds and will provide health care and other assistance to the people rather than waiting for the national government’s support.
Meanwhile the National Government had also approved a K500 million disaster relief package to assist the areas affected by the natural disasters in the country.
