Papua New Guinea - As weather extremes continue to place severe strains on Pacific nations, the challenges to disaster management authorities become ever steeper.

IOM has just concluded a five-day workshop to train officials from Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Vanuatu in Camp Management and Camp Coordination (CCCM). The workshop was led by IOM and participants included government partners from both countries, together with the Red Cross, Oxfam and other agencies. It offered the participants a theoretical approach as well as hands-on activities to set up camps in emergencies.

Representatives from the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department (ECHO) attended a session linked with their visit to and work in drought-affected regions of the country. During the workshop they exchanged views and experiences on the extent of the current drought in Papua New Guinea with Provincial Disaster Centre officers.

Papua New Guinea, particularly the Highlands region, has been severely hit by the ongoing effects of El Niño, which has caused drought and frost affecting over two and half million people. Some regions have already declared a state of emergency and population displacements – already in evidence – are expected to increase.

Vanuatu was hit by a hurricane in March this year that ravaged the island and the economy and is also suffering from the El Niño phenomenon. 

John Kupul, Provincial Disaster Coordinator in Jiwaka, one of the PNG areas affected by drought, said he training will help him to work with displaced populations after natural disasters and tribal conflict. “A major point I will bring home is the importance of the empowerment of the displaced communities through the involvement in the organization and coordination of camps,” he said.

For further information, please contact Wonesai Sithole at IOM Papua New Guinea, Tel: +675.70316355, Email: wsithole@iom.int.

Large scale displacements caused by regional natural disasters demand operational preparedness to the highest standards for management of camps and evacuation centres. To meet these challenges, the region increasingly needs a comprehensive system of joint preparedness involving humanitarian partners, disaster management agencies and governments.

Exchanges during the Papua New Guinea workshop will allow CCCM perspectives from a global and regional perspective to inform and develop an enlarged focus on information management and gender issues. Coordination of relations between national, regional and local actors, as well as those within the camp itself, is an important part of the curriculum, as are creating protection mechanisms and ensuring participation of host populations, and displaced people both inside and outside the camps. IOM’s drought activities are funded by USAID/OFDA.

For further information, please contact Wonesai Sithole at IOM Papua New Guinea, Tel: +675.70316355, Email: wsithole@iom.int.