On the morning of Saturday 25 May 2024, a significant landslide levelled a village in the Enga Province of PNG. Rotary will assist in the recovery period with food, water and other items needed, such as clothing, bedding and shelter and work in partnership with local authorities and the PNG Government.
How might we in D9800 help? Read on.
Our partners in District 9620 are coordinating Rotary’s endeavours.The landslide occurred in Yambali in Enga Provence in the PNG highlands. This is an extremely remote area and difficult to reach. It is still unclear how the landslide happened as no rain and no earthquake were reported, but a significant slide has occurred and buried many homes.
The closest Rotary clubs to the area are several hours away, as the terrain is rough and lacks the usual roads that might be expected in other countries. Two nearby District 9620 Club Presidents and the District 9620 Area Governor for PNG will visit the site in the week commencing 3 June 2024 in order to provide a clearer and accurate picture of the situation and factual information on which to act. Current reports vary from as few as 120 villagers unaccounted for to 2000 buried. The accuracy of media reports is uncertain.
While we wait for more accurate information, District 9620 have established a Rotary Australasia World Community Service (RAWCS) project to receive donated funds in preparation to acquire suitable aid in PNG and transport to the disaster site.District 9620 has liaised with Rotary partners, such as ShelterBox, and other organisations, and the scale of the disaster, its location and security/safety concerns mean that a local response to aid recovery is likely to be most effective, and the RAWCS project for fund raising will provide the best benefit in support of providing local aid and support.
Please see below for details of the RAWCS Project and how your club can assist should you wish to donate.
Papua New Guinea Landslide Disaster Relief Appeal
Description: To provide relief and support to those impacted communities of Papua New Guinea (PNG) in response to the landslide Disaster at Yambali in Enga Provence.
Sponsored by: RAWCS National
Donations can be made to the RAWCS project using this link - https://directory.rawcs.com.au/61-2023-24