NEW IRELAND ADMINISTRATION INITIATES K8.5M EL NINO RELIEF PROGRAMME

THE New Ireland Provincial Government has begun distributing food relief supplies to drought-affected island communities, following the release of K2.5 million in National Government funding for its El Niño response.

The distribution, which commenced at Kavieng’s market wharf on Sunday marks the beginning of a province-wide relief exercise backed by a further K6 million committed by the provincial government through Governor Byron Chan’s Provincial Services Improvement Programme (PSIP) funds.

The initial rollout prioritises island communities, which have been among the hardest hit by prolonged dry conditions, with supplies of rice and flour being dispatched to affected areas.

Provincial Deputy Governor Clifford Kolivos, who witnessed the first dispatch alongside Provincial Administrator Dennis Kosam, senior provincial officials and ward representatives, said the first consignment was heading to Murat Local Level Government (LLG) and parts of Lovongai LLG; the stock distribution comprising 1,096 quantities each of rice and flour.

Kolivos said the provincial government had committed more than K300,000 towards the first distribution exercise.

“We have prioritised our island communities under the K2.5 million received from the National Government’s disaster relief programme.

“We will start with Murat and parts of Lovongai LLGs in the Kavieng District. During the week, other island communities, including Tabar and Simberi under Sentral LLG, as well as Anir and Tanga islands in Namatanai District, will also receive assistance,” he said.

Governor Chan says the relief programme reflected his government’s commitment to ensuring that communities affected by the prolonged drought received practical assistance, particularly those in remote island locations.

“We have started our relief efforts this weekwith the island communities to ensure they get the help they need in this prolonged drought period,” the Governor said.

Chan says the Provincial Government has committed an additional K6 million through its PSIP allocation to strengthen the response and extend assistance to communities across the province.

Meanwhile, Kosam has apologised to communities for the delay in the commencement of the food relief programme, attributing the holdup to repeated changes in financial instructions and administrative requirements governing access to the national disaster funding.

Kosam says there is need for the National Government to provide clear and consistent financial instructions to provincial administrations to avoid similar delays in future emergency responses.

“The Provincial administration is working to complete the first round of implementation and submit acquittals and reports to the National Disaster team to support the release of the next K2.5 million funding tranche. But this will be accessed in early 2027 as Government financial accounts are approaching their annual closure,” he said.

To safeguard the relief programme, Kosam says food supplies would not be stockpiled at distribution points but delivered directly to communities and households upon arrival.

The approach is intended to minimise the risk of mishandling, diversion or misuse of relief supplies and ensure that assistance reaches the intended beneficiaries.

Kosam also called on the Kavieng and Namatanai District administrations to complement the provincial government’s efforts by utilising their respective District Services Improvement Programme (DSIP) allocations for disaster response.

He said, “Addressing the drought crisis required cooperation across all three levels of government, particularly as communities continued to face challenges affecting food security and access to water.

“Stop politicising government services and allow fair distribution. Our people are the ones suffering, and this is the time for all of us to work together,” he said.

He also challenged district administrations, LLG Presidents and Ward Councilors to take responsibility for ensuring that relief assistance reached communities fairly, regardless of political affiliations.

Kosam acknowledged Governor Chan and the presidents of the province’s ten LLGs for their support, describing the local-level governments as the key implementation partners in taking relief assistance to the people.

He said the success of the programme would depend on cooperation between political leaders, administrators, ward representatives and communities.

With the first shipments now underway, the provincial government is expected to continue its distribution programme across the province in the coming days, beginning with the island communities before extending assistance to other affected areas.