India Announces USD 1 Million Aid for Papua New Guinea Following Deadly Landslide

India Announces USD 1 Million Aid for Papua New Guinea Following Deadly Landslide

Dil Bar Irshad | May 28, 2024 | 03:53 PM IST | Breaking News, India | Follow on Google News

India Announces USD 1 Million Aid for Papua New Guinea Following Deadly Landslide

India Announces USD 1 Million Aid for Papua New Guinea Following Deadly Landslide

Key Highlights:

1. India announces $1 million in immediate relief to Papua New Guinea.
2. Over 650 people lost their lives in the landslide in Enga Province.
3. India expresses solidarity through the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation.

India has announced immediate relief assistance worth $1 million to Papua New Guinea after a devastating landslide in Enga Province claimed over 650 lives. The landslide, which struck last week, caused massive destruction, burying hundreds of people and inflicting significant damage.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep condolences and emphasized India’s readiness to support the Pacific island nation during this crisis. The Ministry of External Affairs stated, “As a close friend and partner under the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) and as a gesture of solidarity with the friendly people of Papua New Guinea, the Government of India extends an immediate relief assistance of USD 1 million to support relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction efforts.”

India has consistently supported Papua New Guinea in times of natural disasters, including after the earthquake in 2018 and volcanic eruptions in 2019 and 2023. As part of the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) announced by Prime Minister Modi in November 2019, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management remains a critical focus.

India’s commitment to Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) underlines its role as a responsible and steadfast responder. The landslide has buried more than 2,000 people, destroyed buildings, and food gardens, and severely impacted the country’s economic lifeline, according to Lusete Laso Mana, Acting Director of the National Disaster Centre, in a letter to the UN.

Officials reported that over 150 houses in Yambali village were buried under debris, with the area still posing an “extreme risk” due to falling rocks and pressure on the exposed ground soil.

Dil Bar Irshad

Dil Bar Irshad is a seasoned journalist, hails from Jammu Kashmir's Doda, covers political, social, business stories, index stories.