Attachments
I. Introduction
UNHCR conducted a mission to Papua New Guinea from 10 to 16 November 2017, including two expert medical consultants, Professor Suresh Sundram (Monash University) and Associate Professor Christine Phillips (Australian National University). The mission focused on the conditions and circumstances of persons of concern to UNHCR1 on Manus Island and in Port Moresby.
The delegation visited the East Lorengau Refugee Transit Centre, West Lorengau Haus and Hillside Haus accommodation sites and the Lorengau General Hospital on Manus Island as well as the Granville Motel in Port Moresby. Interviews and meetings were conducted with stakeholders, including approximately 50 refugees and asylum-seekers on Manus Island and in Port Moresby, the Papua New Guinea Immigration and Citizenship Service Authority, the Australian Border Force, and the Australian Government contracted service provider International Health and Medical Services (IHMS).
The situation on Manus Island remains dynamic and this report has been adjusted to focus on relevant issues in the context of changing circumstances in Papua New Guinea. Therefore, although the presence of persons of concern in the closed Manus Island ‘Regional Processing Centre’ was a critical issue at the time of the mission, the removal of those persons to accommodation in Lorengau has mitigated that concern, specifically relating to the health risks associated with staying at the ‘Regional Processing Centre’ when water and electricity had been cut. This report reflects these changed circumstances.