New Delhi [India], December 21 : In continuation of India's commitment to providing relief to the people of Papua New Guinea affected by the volcanic eruption, a special charter flight, loaded with supplies, took off from New Delhi on Thursday.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), this initiative is part of the USD 1 million aid announced by India to assist in the aftermath of the disaster. The supplies include approximately 11 tonnes of disaster relief material and 6 tonnes of medical aid.
In a post on 'X', the official spokesperson of MEA, Arindam Bagchi wrote, "India's humanitarian assistance for the people of Papua New Guinea!Pursuant to the USD 1 mn relief assistance announced by India for the volcanic eruption affected people of Papua New Guinea, a special charter flight carrying relief supplies takes off for Port Moresby."
The disaster relief material comprises tents, sleeping mats, hygiene kits, meals ready to eat, and water storage tanks, whereas medical aid includes essential medicines, surgical items, and sanitary pads, among other things.
"The supplies include approximately 11 tonnes of disaster relief material and 6 tonnes of medical aid. Disaster relief material comprises of tents, sleeping mats, hygiene kits, meals ready to eat, water storage tanks; & medical aid includes essential medicines, surgical items, sanitary pads, rapid antigen test kits, pregnency test kits, mosquito repellents & baby food among others," the MEA said.
https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/1737715596073300457?s=20
Notably, India is sending HADR (high availability disaster recovery) supplies for the people of Papua New Guinea (PNG) in the wake of the volcanic eruption.
A major volcanic eruption on Mount Ulawun in Papua New Guinea erupted on November 20 and forced the evacuation of over 26,000 people and created urgent humanitarian needs.
Expressing solidarity with the people of Papua New Guinea, India extended relief assistance. "As a close friend and development partner under the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) and as a gesture of solidarity with the friendly people of Papua New Guinea, the Government of India extends immediate relief assistance to support relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in Papua New Guinea," the statement said.
Ulawun, the South Pacific nation's most active volcano, spewed smoke up to 15km (9.3 miles) in the air on November 20, the country's Geohazards Management Division said, in its first significant blow-up in years, as reported by Al Jazeera.
India has firmly stood by Papua New Guinea during times of crisis and devastation caused by natural disasters, as it did in the wake of the earthquake that jolted the region in 2018 and the volcanic eruption in 2019.
Ulawun has repeatedly erupted since the 1700s and the last significant eruption occurred in 2019 that forced over 5,000 people to evacuate, according to Al Jazeera.
Papua New Guinea sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where much of the world's earthquakes and volcanic activities occur.
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