The Catholic Leader - 22 April

14-15 / 28

14 15
The Catholic Leader, April 22, 2018 The Catholic Leader, April 22, 2018
In Depth
By Mark Bowling
DEADLY tribal violence has escalated in
a remote highland province of Papua New
Guinea, hampering Catholic relief efforts
after multiple earthquakes that have de-
stroyed crops and displaced an estimated
35,000 villagers.
Fighting has claimed at least seven lives in Hela prov-
ince, as aid agency Caritas Australia and its PNG church
partners try to deliver badly needed food and medicines
to earthquake-ravaged communities.
Marauding gangs have terrorised towns, killing people.
They have burnt buildings to the ground and forced
families to flee.
The United Nations has suspended relief efforts after
an attack on one of its doctors, and several aid agencies
have pulled out.
The provincial government of Hela has also suspend-
ed relief operations because of the escalating violence.
“I think this highlights the critical role the Catho-
lic Church and its partner churches play in being first
responders and being on the ground and in the commu-
nity with humanitarian response and support,” Caritas
‘They ran out first and got buried by the landslide. I was the only one who survived’
Murder and mayhem after PNG quake
Australia’s Pacific humanitarian co-ordinator Felicity
McCullum said.
Caritas still has an earthquake disaster assessment
centre operating in Hela, but Ms McCullum said activity
had been reduced as the risks of violence had escalated.
“As the conflict is com-
ing into the town centres,
no one’s completely safe in
this area,” she said.
Remaining doctors in
the hospital in the town of
Tari were operating under armed military protection.
Bishop Donald Lippert of Mendi diocese, which
includes Hela Province, has taken to social media to
describe escalating violent attacks during recent weeks.
“More armed men came to Tari secondary (school)
checking classrooms for ‘enemy’ students to kill. At
least three men killed in or near Tari town… who will
stop this madness?” Bishop Lippert, a Capuchin, posted
on Twitter on March 28.
Two days later, on Good Friday, Bishop Lippert
posted: “They’ve come to the Mission primary school
and burned down four staff houses. Most people have
run away carrying their belongings on their backs and
dragging their pigs behind them.
“When will people realise that the fighting in Tari is
not traditional tribal fight, but rather conflicts between
criminal gangs? Another question: Who is benefitting
from this chaos, murder and terror?”
Ms McCullum said the effects of the earthquakes –
food shortages and the movement of displaced villagers
– had exacerbated “underlying tribal conflicts in the
area”.
A massive magnitude-7.5 earthquake struck the
remote highland provinces of Papua New Guinea on
February 26.
Since then, many aftershocks and powerful tremors
have added to the crisis, including a 6.3 tremor which
triggered landslides on April 6.
The initial quake claimed more than 130 lives and
injured more than 500.
Even though it occurred on Australia’s doorstep, the
tremors and the violence have not generated widespread
media coverage.
“Water sources are contaminated, their staple crop,
sago, has been destroyed and their food gardens also
destroyed,” Care Australia PNG director Justine McMa-
hon said.
“Australia and PNG have a long and close relation-
ship. I’m sure if the Australian people were more
aware of the incredible hardship that these people are
experiencing then they’d certainly be keen to provide
assistance,” Ms McMahon said.
CARE Australia, working alongside Caritas Australia
and its partner church agencies, is focusing aid efforts in
Hela province.
“Most of the damage was from the initial quake. It
occurred at night, and as you can imagine the commu-
nity was quite traumatised. The earth continues to shake
and whenever there’s a tremor people become nervous
and agitated,” Ms McMahon said.
“Most of the people travel by foot, which can be a
couple of days’ walk to the nearest town.
“For us, we are chartering light aircraft to get our
relief supplies in. So far we have distributed food,
hygiene kits and bed nets – needed to reduce the risk of
malaria – and basic medical equipment.”
She said long term Care Australia would call on shelter
experts to assist local communities build earthquake-
resilient houses.
Ms McCullum said the displacement of villagers – due
to both the earthquakes and violence – was exacerbating
efforts to maintain basic health standards.
“We’re seeing increases in diarrhoea and dysentery,
and, because the UN and the provincial government have
suspended their response efforts, we know now there is
an ever increasing need to get food and assistance for
medical supplies in there as soon as possible,” she said.
“We know food and water and medical supplies are the
most immediate issues right now as well as insuring the
safety of those peoples who are displaced.”
Ms McCullum said an Australian Government $1.5
million grant would be used to send shelter and tool kits,
water and sanitation kits to remote communities in Hela
and Southern Highlands provinces.
“We are hoping to reach 37,500 individuals across 12
remote villages,” she said.
To help Caritas efforts in PNG visit Cari-
tas Australia’s online Pacific Emergency Ap-
peal at
PNG disaster: Barbara, 8, lost her elder sister and her cousin when a boulder struck their
house. She has been living in difficult conditions at the makeshift camp with her father,
Iso Putap, since February 27. Photo: UNICEF/PNG-2018/JamesMepham
Full of hope: The earthquakes turned Abel’s life upside down, damaging his home and forcing the 10-year-old
student out of school. Instead, he spends his day among the ruins of his community in Mendi. UNICEF is setting
up child-friendly spaces where children like Abel can rest, play and simply feel like children again.
Photo: UNICEF/James Mepham
Unstable: Mountain slides caused by quakes are
changing the mountainous landscape.
Recovery: This little packet will make a big impact for baby Austria. She is suffering from
diarrhoea and in serious need of fluids but these rehydration salts – together with some
clean water – will help her recover.
Photo: UNICEF PNG/James Mepham Helping hands: Australia is leading aid efforts flying in emergency supplies to remote communities.
Quake damage: This family and their neighbours were lucky to escape when an earthquake collapsed their homes in Mendi and forced two boys to leap from their bedroom window.
UNICEF is working to set up child-friendly spaces where children can stay safe and get psychosocial care to recover from profound stress.
More armed men
came to Tari secondary
(school) checking
classrooms for ‘enemy’
students to kill. At least
three men killed in or near
Tari town…who will stop
this madness?