United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) Disaster Response Preparedness Mission to Papua New Guinea (2 – 16 May 2009)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, Papua New Guinea (PNG) is no stranger to natural disasters. The most recent high-impact disaster – the 2007 Cyclone Guba and subsequent flooding in Oro province – underscored the need for a comprehensive national framework to better prepare for and respond to disasters. In recognition of this the Government of PNG (GoPNG), through the UN Resident Coordinator (UNRC), requested the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) deploy a UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team to assist in meeting this challenge.

Over a two week period the twelve person team, comprised of disaster managers from national governments, UN agencies and the Red Cross, undertook a comprehensive review the state of disaster response preparedness in PNG. The team also conducted provincial and district level consultations in four of the most disaster-prone provinces and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.

The Team’s findings and recommendations address issues at both the strategic level – including the need for enhanced political commitment and clarification of mandates – that need to be addressed as well as operational and technical issues relating the different aspects of disaster management in PNG. A summary of these issues and key recommendations follows.