Kafkaf declared unfit for habitation as toxic crisis spreads
A public health emergency has been declared in New Ireland Province after Kafkaf village was officially announced an Environmental Hazard and Contaminated Zone. Authorities have deemed the area "unfit for human habitation" following months of continuous marine deaths and a spike in local illnesses.
The Provincial Disaster Committee finalized the declaration on January 23, 2026, ending weeks of speculation regarding the safety of the coastal region. Reports of mass fish mortality and contaminated water sources first surfaced on December 11, 2025, but the situation has since escalated into a full-scale ecological crisis.
Eyewitnesses and provincial officials report a "foul odour" resembling sulfur and hydrocarbon gases being emitted directly from the seafloor during low tide. The phenomenon has reportedly turned the surrounding coastal waters a milky, cloudy white, resulting in a continuous die-off of marine life that the community relies on for sustenance.
The environmental shift has triggered a wave of health issues among the local population. More than 500 residents have reported symptoms including acute chest pains, severe headaches, and persistent, "unexplained" skin rashes and bruising.
During a Technical Working Group Committee meeting on Monday, February 02nd, New Ireland Provincial Administration Social Sector CEO Apelis Benson warned that the crisis is no longer contained to a single village.
"We heard of Kafkaf, but now we are seeing a spread across the length of the eastern coastline to Manggai and also Maiom," Benson said.
Benson expressed fear that the official count of 500 victims may be an underestimation after reviewing photographic evidence of the physical toll on villagers,
"If these bruises or unexplained itchiness… are the reported cases, how many of these are unreported? This is a potential risk if we don’t address it quickly. It is definitely going to affect the livelihood of our people."
While a technical team led by Provincial Health Director Martha Salihombo is currently coordinating the local response, the Provincial Administration is now calling for a massive scaling up of National Government support.
A joint assessment team from the National Disaster Committee and the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority [CEPA] arrived in the province this week to begin testing the water and soil. However, local leaders are pushing for more transparency and faster dissemination of information to the public.
"I would like to see the government take a little bit more interest in this at the provincial and national level," Benson said. "We need to open up the consultation… and get some support in this."
The Technical Working Group is expected to release further findings once the CEPA results are finalized later this month. For now, Kafkaf residents remain in a state of uncertainty as the unexplained environmental threat continues to migrate along the coast.