India announces $1 million relief assistance to landslide-hit Papua New Guinea

Tags: International Relations International News

India announces immediate relief assistance of one million US dollars to aid Papua New Guinea.

An Overview of the News

• The assistance aims to support relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction efforts following a devastating landslide in Enga Province on May 24th.

• The landslide buried hundreds of people, resulting in significant destruction and loss of life.

Condolences and Support:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi expresses grief over the loss of lives and damage caused by the landslide.

• In a social media post, Mr. Modi extends heartfelt condolences to the affected families and offers prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured.

• India stands ready to offer all possible support and assistance to Papua New Guinea during this difficult time.

Geographical Background Of Papua New Guinea:

• New Guinea, the world's second-largest island, covers an area of 785,753 km2.

• Situated in Oceania, it lies in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, adjacent to Australia, separated by the Torres Strait.

• The island is surrounded by numerous smaller islands to the west and east.

India-Papua New Guinea Relations:

• Diplomatic ties between India and Papua New Guinea were established in 1975 upon PNG's independence from Australia.

• India opened its resident mission in Port Moresby in 1996, reciprocated by PNG with a resident mission in New Delhi in 2006.

• Both nations, being Commonwealth countries, share warm relations, aligning closely on various global issues.

• Collaboration extends to international forums like the Commonwealth, Non-Aligned Movement, and the United Nations Organization.

Humanitarian Aid and Assistance:

• India extends humanitarian aid and disaster relief to PNG periodically.

• In 2023, assistance included drugs for HIV/AIDS patients.

• A grant-in-aid totaling US $760,000 provided computers and peripherals to PNG in 2017-18.

• Capacity-building efforts involve training through programs like Indian Technical & Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC) and the Colombo Plan.

• Ongoing implementation of aid proposals in various fields submitted by PNG under the annual grant-in-aid.

• A Centre of Excellence in Information Technology was established at the University of PNG with Indian financial and technical assistance.

• In 2018, Government of India provided assistance of US$1 million for earthquake relief in areas affected by the PNG earthquake.