On Friday, May 31, 2024, Prime Minister Hon. James Marape visited the landslide-affected area of Maip-Mulitaka LLG in Porgera-Paiela, Enga. Accompanied by Enga Governor Hon. Sir Peter Ipatas, Defence Minister Hon. Billy Joseph, and Hela Governor Hon. Philip Undialu, the Prime Minister met with the community members impacted by the devastating landslide that occurred on May 24.
The disaster claimed an estimated 670 lives and displaced over 7,800 people. In response to the tragedy, Prime Minister Marape announced a K20 million contribution to the Enga Provincial Government to support immediate disaster relief efforts. Additionally, the Hela and Southern Highlands provincial governments each provided K1 million in aid. Prime Minister Marape also acknowledged the K1 million support from the international terminal operator ICTSI South Pacific.
He thanked partner countries including Australia, New Zealand, USA, Japan, China, United Kingdom, Indonesia, France, Israel, South Korea, Phillipines, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Czech Republic and many others, United Nations, International Organisation for Migration and Pacific Islands Forum for responding very quickly to the disaster.
Watch the video to see the Prime Minister's emotional visit, the community's response, and the ongoing efforts to recover and rebuild after this tragic event.