Emergency aid to flood-ravaged Papua New Guinea
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is rushing tents, blankets, plastic sheeting, sleeping mats, and
plastic water tanks to the Papua New Guinea capital of Port Moresby from its warehouse in Singapore.
Heavy rains from Cyclone Guba have plummeted the country since November 12, causing widespread flooding in Oro Province,
north of Port Moresby, as well as in Milne Bay and Morobe Provinces. The flooding has caused 150 deaths and displaced
53,000 from their homes as of November 22, according to Papua New Guinea's National Disaster Center. Some 1,000 homes
have been washed away, and extensive damage has been reported to infrastructure, including farmland, roads, and bridges.
On November 22, the Japanese government decided to provide emergency supplies worth 13 million yen in response to a
request from the government of Papua New Guinea.
JICA has been busy during 2007 - the 20th anniversary of its program called Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) - providing
emergency aid for major natural disasters to 17 countries, in addition to dispatching medical personnel and offering
rebuilding assistance in troubled areas around the world.
JICA has been particularly active in recent months, sending relief supplies to the victims of flooding in Mexico,
Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh, Tropical Storm Noel in the Dominican Republic, Hurricane Felix in Nicaragua, flooding in
Africa, and the massive magnitude-8.0 earthquake in Peru.
ENDS