OCHA Situation Report No. 2
Papua New Guinea: Cyclone Guba
27 November 2007


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

This report is based on information from UN Agencies, the Government of 
Papua New Guinea (GoPNG), and other responders and donors.

SITUATION

1. Category 1 Tropical Cyclone Guba struck Papua New Guinea 12-16 
November 2007, bringing torrential rains and high tides which caused 
severe flooding in Oro and Milne Bay provinces in the east of the 
country. The Government of PNG reports that some 143,000 people are 
affected, while the Oro Provincial Police report to date some 164 
casualties, with at least 13,000 displaced.

  2. Oro province remains cut off, with most access possible only by air 
or sea. Popondetta, the provincial capital, should have access to 
potable water within the next 24 hours. Numerous roads and over 13 
bridges have been made impassable by landslides or washed away by 
floodwater, including the road to Oro's Girua airport.

3. Aid is beginning to reach the affected areas, but provincial 
authorities have requested specific assistance with food and medical 
supplies, and disease prevention efforts. UN agencies and NGOs also 
highlighted urgent temporary shelter and watsan needs. While information 
management continues to challenge accurately targeted distribution of 
relief supplies, analysis is indicating where impacted communities still 
need to be assessed and which initial areas should be prioritized.

NATIONAL RESPONSE

4. A State of Emergency was declared by the Government on 19 November 
and GoPG formally requested assistance of NGOs, INGOs and diplomatic 
missions in-country. As well as the immediate release of PGK 50 million 
(18.5 million USD) to assist affected communities, and 2.6 million USD 
made available directly to the Papua New Guinea National Disaster Centre 
(NDC), the NDC was granted PGK 7 million in emergency funds earmarked by 
the recently appointed emergencies Minister.

5. PNG Defence Force and Navy aircraft and vessels have been dispatched 
to affected areas with relief supplies. Essential shuttles travel 
between the Port Moresby and Popondetta Emergency Operations Centres 
three times a day (08h00, 14h00, 19h45) to ensure effective coordination 
and communication.

6. The PNG Red Cross Society (PNGRCS) has shipped 1,700 tarpaulins and 
800 water containers to Popondetta. Up to 50 local volunteers have been 
trained to assist with disaster assessment and distribution of emergency 
relief supplies. A watsan expert arrived late last week and three 
specialists are due in-country to establish and maintain a 5,000l/hour 
water purification plant.

COORDINATED IN-COUNTRY RESPONSE

7. The National Coordinating Committee for Cyclone Guba is co-chaired by 
OCHA, and is meeting daily to coordinate between GoPNG, UN agencies, 
I/NGOs and the PNG Red Cross Society.

8. Inter-agency teams are currently conducting village level 
assessments, focusing on overall priority needs, sectoral needs, and 
number of affected households. Observations from aerial assessments 
indicate that acute flooding was localized to communities along 
riverbanks and water courses, rather than widespread flooding as assumed 
earlier.

9.  Good progress was made in the distribution of relief supplies to 
villages in the Tufi and Itukama Local Level Government areas. Food and 
Non-Food Item (NFI) kits made up the input package. This will continue 
on Tuesday and distribution will then progress to the Kokoda local 
authorities. Distributions are currently utilizing Australian Defence 
Force air assets (C130s, Caribous, Black Hawks and King Air craft), 
supplemented by privately-hired helicopters. I/NGOs jointly drafted and 
approved a set of distribution guidelines.

10. An additional inter-agency assessment team has been mobilized to 
travel to Milne Bay Province on Wednesday to meet with provincial 
disaster authorities and survey the level of impact in Rabaraba 
District, the most heavily impacted area in this province.

11. OCHA and AusAID continue to provide additional staff to support NDC 
coordination operations in Port Moresby (PoM) and provincial 
coordination/response efforts in Popondetta. AusAID has now deployed 
fourteen in-country international staff to support the EOC, including 
logistics, medical and administrative officers to the relief operation.

12.  PNG Defence Force and Royal PNG Constabulary have deployed 80 and 
75 staff respectively to supplement local law enforcement efforts. 
Security personnel have been tasked to accompany assessment and 
distribution teams to ensure the safety of humanitarian personnel and 
the orderly distribution of relief supplies. Security assets are also 
protecting warehoused supplies in Oro Province.

INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE

13. AusAID received a formal request for support on 21 November, and has 
undertaken a number of assessments using ADF and commercial aircraft. 
Based on food shortages in specific areas, AusAID purchased 84MT rice 
and 50MT of other assorted food (tinned fish, cooking oil, salt, cooking 
cubes), which is currently awaiting shipment from Lae port to Oro 
Province overnight on 26 November. Australian Defence Force Assets also 
brought in a variety of NFIs including tarpaulins, water containers, 
medical supplies, blankets and generator sets.

14. The Japanese Ambassador is due to hand over a contribution of more 
than 7MT of humanitarian supplies to GoPNG tomorrow morning in support 
of the relief effort.

15. As part of the FRANZ Partnership agreement, the Government of France 
has transferred more than 2MT of relief supplies from its warehouse in 
Noumea which is due to arrive by CASA aircraft in Port Moresby tonight 
for final delivery to Popondetta 27 November.

16. This situation report, together with further information on ongoing 
emergencies, is also available on the OCHA-managed ReliefWeb website at 
http://www.reliefweb.int.

For more information please contact:

OCHA Humanitarian Affairs Officer, Port Moresby
Mr. Antonio Massella
Tel. +675 68 61592
Tel: + 675 321-2877


Desk Officer:

(NYC) Mr. Wojtek Wilk
Tel. +1 917 367 5286


Press contact:

(NYC) Ms. Stephanie Bunker
Tel. +1 917 367 5126

(GVA) Ms. Elizabeth Byrs
Tel. +1 917 367 5126
Tel. +41 22 917 2653

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