Oxfam says PNG drought is fostering domestic violence

Transcript

The non-government organisation, Oxfam, says there is growing domestic tension in Papua New Guinea highlands areas affected by drought.

Much of the highlands region remains in the grip of a severe drought brought on by the El Nino weather affecting much of the Pacific.

Oxfam PNG is based in Goroka in Eastern Highlands and it also operates in Chimbu where its country director, Esmie Sinapa, says people are becoming agitated as the impacts of the drought bite.

Don Wiseman spoke with Ms Sinapa and began by asking her about the PNG's Government's programme to deliver food stuffs, such as rice and flour, around the affected areas.

ESMIE SINAPA: In terms of what Oxfam is doing, we are not doing distribution of food supply that is where the government comes in to provide for the people who are affected in that area. Now there needs to be a follow on assessment to ascertain if the food has been delivered, and if the food has been delivered, how long will it take to sustain the people affected on the ground. What we have seen is that without that follow up assessment you cannot have adequate information to go forward from here. Also we have seen that if the situation gets worse and worse with the drier conditions, there needs to be a second lot of food distribution that needs to be strategically done based on the follow up assessments, so that people who are really in need of it, receive the food supplies.

DON WISEMAN: Just how bad is it in terms of its impact on the people that you're seeing in these districts in Chimbu?

ES: The situation on the ground, people are getting agitated, there's tension, it's high, a feeling that they need to be supported, that goes to the communities. I think the danger is that if people are not supported and people are not given their adequate rations, there will be a likelihood of tensions and violence as it escalates from people not receiving their support.

DW: So what, tribal battles?

ES: Not so much tribal battles, but I think around tensions in the home, because of the scarcity of food, of money to buy food. There'll be a rise in violence against women, against children, against people with disabilities. People who are already a burden in the home they will have to share the resources at home and so you will find in the homes, there will be a sense of peace because they are so scare with food and resources to go round.

DW: As you say Oxfam is not involved in food distribution per se, but an international NGOs such as yours, does what?

ES: For Oxfam our focus is in WASH [ Water, Sanitation, Hygiene] We have seen that if we do not get the key messages around water conservation and water preservation to the people, people can be affected very quickly if there is no water. With food, when people are affected we
would be able to mobilise and co-ordinate food distribution. But with the scarcity of water, that will be a bigger problem if we do not start talking about key messages, talking about preservation, talking about assessment around what is actually needed to preserve what we have and so that is our area of focus with Oxfam, while the others, other NGOs and the government and others who are better placed to do food distribution can do that to the areas where they have the capacity.

DW: There have been reports that people have died, but we've also been told that none of those reports had been verified but it was because of the water, the water had become polluted or there just wasn't enough, are you finding that?

ES: In our response in the next couple of weeks, we will be looking at WASH [ Water, Sanitation, Hygiene] assessments to really ascertain these reports and also to ascertain for ourselves what other gaps and challenges we have to address in this drought in terms of WASH. What we are saying is that if those things are not addressed, we will be seeing that related to water stoppages, if we do not address it, if we do not go out and be able to educate the people around preserving and conserving water. We feel that in the coming weeks, water will become an issue that we have to deal with.  

DW: What sort of response do you get from the people when you go out and raise these issues with them?

ES: The people, like I mentioned earlier, they do not want to talk about plans or assessments, they want support, they want the food and they want the water. So there is agitation, there is tension  within the community. If we do assessment and if we do not follow up and respond with what needs to be supported, if it's food distribution, people have to receive that, if it's water, they have to be supported with that. Our response, Oxfam's response is that we go in with key messages but also with deliveries of jerry cans, water purification and that sort of thing, so also do response at the same time we address and mitigate in some areas.

DW: Do you imagine at some point you may have to truck water in?

ES: That is something that is an option that is on the table, that we cannot rule that out because if there are situations where there is no water at all we'll have to look at trucking water. Although it's expensive and that is why there needs to be a proper assessment around WASH needs and so that can also be an option that can be looked at critically but based on information that is assessed on the ground.