India has extended $1 million in immediate relief aid to Papua New Guinea following a devastating landslide in the Enga Province on May 24, which claimed over 650 lives and buried over 2000 people. The Ministry of External Affairs stated that India’s gesture of solidarity with the people of Papua New Guinea, as part of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC), includes support for relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction efforts.
India’s commitment to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) is evident through its steadfast response to natural disasters in Papua New Guinea, including earthquakes in 2018 and volcanic eruptions in 2019 and 2023. Disaster risk reduction and management are integral aspects of India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), initiated by PM Modi in November 2019. PM Modi expressed condolences for the loss of lives and damage caused by the landslide, reaffirming India’s readiness to provide support and assistance.
The magnitude of the disaster is profound, with an estimated 2,000 individuals potentially buried alive by the landslide. The tragedy struck when a mountainside collapsed during the early hours of Friday morning, catching the village of Yambali unaware. A state of emergency has been declared across the disaster zone and surrounding areas, affecting a population of 4,500 to 8,000, with evacuation orders in place, according to Enga province disaster committee chairperson Sandis Tsaka.
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