Transcript
STELLA RUMBAM: We have been working in the area of water sanitation and hygiene, together with our other partners.
KORO VAKA'UTA: How many people are you guys helping? How many people are in need there? And what kind of aid? You mentioned water sanitation, what kind of aid are you assisting with?
SR: At the moment we are targeting 5,000 people. The earthquake has affected a vast area within Southern Highlands and Hela Province. We are actually working with our local partner, which is the is the Evangelical Church, and we are focussing more in the area of Bosavi and that is in the Nipa-Kutubu District of South Highlands Province.
KV: It must be tough. What kind of challenges are there in terms of the distribution of aid?
SR: The biggest challenge we have is the accessibility to the communities that have been affected. Within Bosavi area you only have access through air and having access and accessibility to the communities which are also scattered in themselves. They are not situation in one big village but they are in different communities which is the biggest challenge in having access to do distribution of the items that we have.
KV: You mention Hela and the Southern Highlands, how about the Western Province? There has been talk about water contamination in that area, is World Vision assisting in that?
SR: World Vision is working with the Department of Health in making an assessment to really have a clear understanding on what is the cause of the water contamination and also to understand the clear need of what is required to support or to address the issue of water contamination, the reports that we have received.
KV: There is obvious hygiene and sanitation support at the moment, what is the next step for World Vision?
SR: So the next step for World Vision is to work with the local partners and the communities to raise awareness on hygiene, on sanitation and also to continue with the distribution, which is our initial response to the situation. The distribution of the non-food items. They consist of jerry cans, hygiene kits, aqua tablets, mosquito nets and also blankets. Apart from that we are building the capacity of the communities on how to use the aqua tabs but we also have a phase two plan of the response which we work with our local partner, the Evangelical Church, to work mostly around rehabilitation of water sources and hygiene and sanitation.
