Juffa warns Oro people of potential disaster

NORTHERN Province has yet again been devastated by torrential rain and flooding. 

The Province has never really recovered from the 2007 Cyclone Guba, with all of its major bridges not reconstructed, except for Double Cross which is a makeshift bridge. 

Oro Governor, Gary Juffa

Commuters have been using wet crossings since 2007 and now disaster has struck again effectively cutting off 

Kokoda and Oro Bay. 

Oro Governor Gary Juffa has asked his people to be prepared for the worst, as rains continue and flooding throughout the province has cut off communities from basic services. 

This includes the township of Popondetta, which has been cut off from the main airport of Girua and seaport of Oro Bay, due to heavy flooding of the Girua River. 

In his address to the people on Radio Northern on Sunday Morning, Governor Juffa asked the people to make an effort to move inland to higher ground, not cross heavily flooded rivers, mind their children and boil drinking water. 

He assured the people that the Provincial Government was doing all it could to assess damages and would be asking the National Government for immediate assistance with food, drinking water, temporary shelter and medical aid, should the situation worsen. 

Already the floods have washed away food gardens and houses in Tufi and Wanigela and parts of the North Coast. 

Governor Juffa said while the weather at this time of the year expected heavy rainfall, the flooding was increasingly more intense every year with landslips and mudslides also becoming common. 

Governor Juffa stated that since Cyclone Guba in 2007, Oro had never been rehabilitated properly and was in grave danger from suffering more damage to its already deteriorated infrastructure.

Governor Juffa confirmed that this year the four main bridges in Oro that had been washed away, would be rebuilt and the provincial disaster plan and facilities would be overhauled to ensure better preparation for such disasters. 

Villages along the Mamba, Gira and Eia Rivers have also been affected and their food gardens remain inundated. 

In Tufi, there’s also been widespread flooding from Airara to Wuyaku, and in Tumari village, 14 houses have been washed away. Food gardens have been destroyed as well.

“I am in the process of making a submission to the National Executive council to declare Oro a Disaster Province and seek financial assistance from the Government. Provincial Disaster & Emergency Officers have been dispatched and the full extent of the damage should be known sometime over the weekend,” Mr Juffa said. 

“In the meantime, I call on the people, especially those living near rivers to move to higher grounds and to assist each other at this time of disaster.”

He said the immediate need would be for clean water, food and medical supplies especially for mothers and children. 

Governor Juffa commended the two Open Members, Delilah Gore and David Arore for their initial commitments of K10,000 each to assist the Provincial Disaster teams. 

“I am committing K20,000 from my discretionary funds to also assist the teams,” Mr Juffa added.

As soon as the full extent of the damage is known, my Office will coordinate fundraising for those who wish to assist the people of Oro.