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Care centre facing shelter, water issues

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
ULAMONA councillor Blaise Luveni says tarpaulins distributed to displaced families after the first volcanic eruption of Mt Ulawun in West New Britain two months ago have broken and needs to be replaced.
Luveni said because the material was already breaking, families, in particular women and children, were exposed to the elements.
He said with recent heavy rains, the risk of disease such as malaria and pneumonia were high.
“Families at the Kabaya care centre are getting wet when the rain seeps through the torn canvas causing more misery,” he said.
“The canvas’ that we received when we moved here (care centre) after the June 26 eruption are already breaking.
“They are not giving people shelter.”
Luveni said people at the care centre needed new canvas that were of better quality.
He said the displaced people would not be able to move back to their villages until the Rabaul Volcanologocial Observatory (RVO) gave them the all clear.
Luveni said the RVO had initially allowed the people to return to their villages on July 11 but the volcano erupted again on Aug 3 and the people returned to the care centre.
Luveni said there were 2,272 villagers at the care centre who were facing a water shortage as well.
“We are now using a Tuffa tank that can contain 10,000 litres of water,” he said.
“This tank was donated by the Cakara Alarm Logging Company.
“But the tank is not enough.”