Attachments
A. Situation analysis
Description of the disaster
Between May and July 2022, the incidence of election violence escalated significantly in Papua New Guinea, especially in the Highlands region. Communities in the provinces of Southern Highlands, Hela, and Enga continue to experience sporadic violence although, in most locations, the situation is reportedly subsiding, returning to pre-elections status. Provincial and district authorities are working with local partners to undertake preliminary evaluations of the displaced population, but because individuals are constantly moving – many of them returning home - it is impossible for local partners to precisely tally or track displacements. Food insecurity and other socioeconomic effects felt by communities affected by violence are made worse by the fact that schools and a large number of health institutions in the affected areas are still closed and supply networks have not yet fully recovered.
The state of law and order in Porgera, Enga, is still tense. Although most roads are open and traffic is moving, there are still unconfirmed reports of sporadic spontaneous blockages in several areas. According to partners in civil society, many churches, banks and shops are still closed, as well as public institutions, schools, hospitals, and police stations. For the Lagaip district of Enga's Komo-Magarima district, in the province of Hela, there have been no recent updates. Initial needs analyses in the Margarima and Nipa districts had started but were put on hold by the inaccessibility of some regions that were still under armed control, according to IOM. Fighting continues to persist in the Southern Highlands communities. The estimated figure for the affected population remains uncertain; however, the overall population of these affected districts is estimated to be 529,181 people or 98,349 households by the UN. The Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM)/Shelter/ Non-Food Items (NFI) cluster estimates around 50 per cent of the population or 264,590 people (49,175 households) may have been affected. The cluster further estimates that one-third of those—87,315 people (16,227 households)—could be displaced from their homes, although movements to return home have begun. The sporadic violence is expected to continue even after the government is fully formed in coming September.
The National Disaster Centre (NDC) held an internal planning session in mid-August which PNGRCS participated in developing a preliminary three-month response plan. The following week, a team made up of Disaster Management Team (DMT) and NDC personnel was deployed to Mount Hagen to meet with important parties and formalise a security operational plan, including the Assistant Commissioner of Police for Western Command, private security companies, provincial government representatives, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and civil society organisations.
The security assessment was concluded on 25 August 2022; the UN Department of Safety and Security concluded that aid activities are cleared to resume operations in Hela, except for Margarima district, and the Southern Highlands, except for Nipa district, which will be accessed this week. The provinces of Jiwaka, Chimbu, Eastern Highlands, and Western Highlands in the Highlands area were also cleared. This allows more access for PNGRCS to support the affected population in accordance with government-established rules for aid workers operating in the province. However, the government has, at the same time, declared all conflict-affected regions in Enga no-go zones at the moment. Police escorts must be deployed to offer protection during aid distributions since the movement north of Wabag is quite constrained.