Rosemarie North in Mandadi, Oro Province
The helicopter sweeps low over the coastline of Oro Province on the north side of Papua New Guinea. The ocean is turquoise, except at the river mouths, where it blooms a sinister instant coffee colour. Tree trunks lie flicked around like toothpicks.
Along the rivers there are abandoned or ruined houses in a sea of silt.
At Mandadi, Emily Gombuda, 21, says she will never forget the 10th of November. The 21-year-old was at home on the coast of Papua New Guinea’s Oro Province.
Outside, in the aftermath of Cyclone Guba, a terrible storm raged, with torrents of rain, thunderstorms and violent winds. It was the worst storm she’d ever experienced.
“The wind roared and the buildings were moving,” she says. “We sat in the house. I looked after my little sister.”
“It was really bad because there is no mountain here to protect us. The river came down and just flooded us.”
After Cyclone Guba, rains cascaded down from the mountains. Streams gushed into rivers. And the rivers became so swollen with water, silt and debris that they gouged out their banks. Houses on the river banks are lucky to be standing. And many bridges were shorn away, leaving no trace of their existence.
Emily tells me her house is still ok, but it’s now in the mud. She pinches skin below her knee to show me how high. “You can’t walk through it.”
Her neighbour Ilma Tromo lost everything, she says. Her house is out at sea somewhere, along with all her possessions.
“People just ran and they left all their things,” says Ilma, touching the tatty shoulder of her blouse. “This is all I have now.”
Information is still coming in on exactly what the damage is. More than 70 people are believed to have died. Preliminary figures from the government indicate that 53,000 people are affected, with up to 13,000 losing their homes.
Member of parliament Anthony Nene, who was in Oro Province visiting his home and other villages, believes the damage is extensive. All 31 houses in his village, Emo River, were swept away, forcing 315 people to seek other shelter. They are now staying in another village upstream.
He is particularly worried about food. Many households have lost their vegetable gardens, where families grow the fruit and vegetables that form the basis of their diet. They need seeds, tools and several months’ growing to return to self-sufficiency.
The village where Emily and Ilma live has enough food for another day or two. But only because family are eating only two meals a day.
The situation should be easing. First relief distributions by 50 Papua New Guinea Red Cross Society volunteers consist of food, water containers, mosquito nets and tarpaulins. Later, relief items will include kitchen sets with pots, plates and other essentials, hygiene kits containing soap, toothpaste and sanitary items, and the tools and equipment to rebuild houses.
As soon as news of the disaster reached the International Federation, a Disaster Relief Emergency Fund allocation of CHF 25,000 was dispatched. Within days, an international team of people with skills including water and sanitation, logistics and disaster management, was sent to join Papua New Guinea Red Cross staff and colleagues. An international emergency appeal for 740,000 Swiss francs was launched this morning.