23 Dec 2014

PNG's Milne Bay coping with several natural disaster issues

2:50 pm on 23 December 2014

Disaster officials in Milne Bay province in Papua New Guinea are working around the clock to cope with a number of serious weather events.

They are in the process of shipping 80 tonnes of foodstuffs to 50 thousand people in the outlying islands affected by Tropical Cyclone Ita more than eight months ago.

Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea

Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea Photo: Supplied

The provincial disaster coordinator, Steven Tobessa, says their food gardens remain unusable in the wake of the cyclone.

He says his staff expect the areas to be hit by cyclones again this summer and they are coping with a number of other matters.

"We are planning for other natural disasters by way of the drought that is now on the northern parts of the islands and we have rain on the southern parts of the islands, especially on the mainland of Milne Bay province where the rains have been non stop. It has caused landslides and is affecting the food gardens for our people also."