EHP Provincial Government releases K2.5 million in food relief assistance

Twenty-five Local Level Government (LLG) Presidents in Eastern Highlands Province will each receive K100,000 worth of food supplies to distribute to wards within their respective LLGs as communities continue to feel the effects of El Niño.

Several LLG Presidents witnessed the presentation at Bintangor Wholesale and received updates on the assistance.
Provincial Disaster Coordinator Benjamin Danny told the media that the K2.5 million in Provincial Government assistance is separate from the El Niño relief funding allocated by the National Government.

“The Provincial Executive Council has endorsed a K2.5 million from the Provincial Government’s 709 Internal Revenue Account for the first rollout of assistance.

The funding has now been made available for all LLG Presidents to distribute food supplies to wards within their respective LLGs,” Danny said.

He adds that the Provincial Government is working to access the additional K2.5 million in El Niño relief funding from the National Government to support the districts.

“Whatever we are providing now is funded by the Provincial Government as part of the first rollout. While this distribution is underway, we will draw down the funds from the National Government and continue the assistance to all respective wards,” he said.

Danny says the National Government funding will complement the Provincial Government’s efforts and is calling on District Development Authorities (DDAs) across the eight districts to provide additional support, as the current allocation to each LLG is insufficient.

He emphasized that the assistance is intended to provide food and water to communities affected by El Niño.

Meanwhile, Eastern Highlands Deputy Governor Kenia Kakavu, speaking on behalf of the LLG Presidents, thanked the Provincial Government for the timely assistance, saying it would help communities cope with the ongoing El Niño crisis.