MAF Papua New Guinea statement on the 24 May Mulitaka Landslide
MAF in Papua New Guinea expresses our heartfelt sympathy for the victims of the recent landslide in Mulitaka village.
Maip Mulitaka Landslide Enga Province PNG
While the devastation is severe, the presence of highway access and the Enga provincial airport at Wapenamanda close by, ensures that aid can be effectively delivered without the need for Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) assistance.
Maip Mulitaka Landslide Enga Province PNG – Photo by MAF Pilot Mathias Glass
However, MAF stands ready to help in times of disasters like these, but our services are not required in this instance. Instead, we are focusing on remote communities that are not accessible by road.
Today’s flights from and to MAF’s base Mt Hagen were to villages like Nomad River and Mougulu, with our aircraft carrying building materials for a solar installation project and personnel needing to travel for administrative purposes to Kiunga.
MAF flights departing our base in Balimo often transport health patrols which are currently responding to the severe flooding in the south Fly areas, with many rivers turning into lakes and villages under water, posing severe risks to health and food security.
Flooding in Western Province, South Fly Area – Photo by MAF Pilot Glenys Watson
This is underscoring MAF’s commitment to supporting isolated areas in need.