Enga landslide — Papua New Guinea
Above: Support activities for children affected by the Mulitaka landslide. Photo: Save the Children PNG
On 24 May 2024, at approximately 3am, the Maip Mulitaka (Mulitaka) District of Enga Province, Papua New Guinea, experienced a significant landslide. Following an assessment of the affected areas, local authorities announced that Yambeli Ward was “totally devastated”. Houses were buried under up to 8 metres of earth. Most people were asleep when the landslide occurred, raising the fatality count. It is estimated around 2,000 people lost their lives with around 1,400 households and 7,850 persons directly affected by the disaster. Power lines were cut, clean water inaccessible and the damaged roads and remote location made access difficult. An estimated 200 square kilometres were affected; this includes 200 metres of the main access road between the provincial capital of Wabag and the affected area, disconnecting Porgera and surrounding areas from the rest of the country. A further 10,000 people from surrounding villages received evacuation orders. Of those directly impacted by the landslide, 42% were under the age of 16. Over 150 structures were destroyed, including an elementary school.
The AHP Response
On 29 May, the AHP PNG Emergency Response Fund was activated to enable Australian NGOs to meet the immediate needs of affected communities. DFAT confirmed an initial AUD 400,000 of funding for CARE, CAN DO, Save the Children and World Vision for the initial 3 months of immediate assistance.
The initial response was extended to a 12-month activation, with an additional AUD 800,000 provided by DFAT to address both response and early recovery efforts. The response focused on emergency food relief and longer-term food security, safe and adequate shelter, restoration of damaged water supplies, protection and psychosocial support for survivors.
The AHP response was led by CARE, CAN DO and World Vision.
The response focused on emergency food relief and longer-term food security, safe and adequate shelter, and restoration of damaged water supplies, and psychosocial support for survivors. AHP partners also worked alongside provincial disaster authorities to strengthen their capacity to respond.
AHP partners delivered this response while facing significant challenges on the ground. Throughout implementation, local security tensions hindered progress as frequent, violent conflict diminished social cohesion among and within tribes. In response to these challenges, agencies developed adaptive, localised solutions to continue responding, where possible.
Response highlights
The provision of emergency food and non-food relief provided immediate, essential support for a total of 5,545 participants. Displaced households in Enga received food items such as rice, noodles and tinned fish, as well as non-food items (NFIs) including bedding, tools, tarpaulins and clothing. The coordinated relief effort helped alleviate immediate food insecurity, with supplies lasting up to 2 weeks for some households. Special consideration was given to vulnerable individuals, including 2% of people with disabilities, who were actively engaged in the distribution process to promote inclusivity. A widow shared that "without the food provided by CAN DO, I don’t know how I would have cared for my children. The road to recovery is long but knowing that people out there care about us has given me hope."
AHP partners CARE and World Vision established and/or improved 11 vital WASH facilities. This included improved water systems, the construction of semi-permanent latrines, toilet blocks, shower systems and renovations in both the Yambali Health Centre and Mulitaka Health Centre. These facilities improved sanitation and hygiene access and were supported by hygiene promotion awareness activities. World Vision also constructed a gravity-fed water system that enabled community members in the Yambali Ward to access a safe and reliable water source. Combined, the WASH response reached a total of 1,267 participants including people living with a disability.
CARE established 5 child-friendly spaces (CFS) in affected areas to support children’s psychosocial needs. More than 330 children have accessed these spaces since the start of the response. To further enhance protection measures 30 CFS volunteers were trained on gender-based violence, preventing harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse, child protection, basic counselling skills, mental health and psychosocial support and referral pathways.
AHP partners ensured project implementation was in coordination with the relevant provincial authorities. CAN DO, World Vision and CARE actively collaborated with the Enga Disaster Management Team, local district volunteers and government authorities to ensure effective relief distribution. The Papua New Guinea Defence Force and local police were also engaged to maintain security during relief efforts. AHP agencies initiated discussions with provincial authorities to work towards transitional and permanent recovery solutions such as providing shelter-building kits to families awaiting relocation. These collaborative efforts resulted in improved coordination and resource optimisation.