Papua New Guinea disaster - IOM 28 May 2024
/
2:24
/
MP4
/
271.1 MB
Transcripts
Download

Edited News | IOM

Papua New Guinea disaster - IOM 28 May 2024

Papua New Guinea landslide response hampered by complex conditions

Efforts to rescue those impacted by the deadly landslide in Papua New Guinea that has claimed an estimated 2,000 lives have been complicated by fears that the waterlogged ground could shift again. “We don’t want a disaster on top of the current one,” said Itayi Viriri, UN migration agency (IOM) regional spokesperson for Asia and the Pacific, on Tuesday.

Reports from the National Disaster Center indicate that up to 2,000 people were buried under mud and rubble after a massive landslide last Friday at 3am “when most people were probably sleeping”, said Itayi Viriri, UN migration agency (IOM) regional spokesperson for Asia and the Pacific.

The landslide engulfed the area, burying homes, infrastructure and farmland under up to eight metres of soil and debris. Only six bodies have been recovered so far. 

Speaking to journalists in Geneva from Bangkok via Zoom, the IOM spokesperson highlighted the vulnerability of those affected by the disaster: “A lot of the people who have been affected by this landslide actually moved to this area after escaping tribal conflicts in other parts of the province of Enga. So these are people who are already displaced who are now having to move to other locations.”

Dramatic video from the scene of the disaster showed locals and rescue workers struggling to shift a wall of mud and rubble using shovels. But safe access continues to be extremely difficult. “Just today, this morning, one of the main thoroughfares leading to this area, a bridge there collapsed. And now they have to fix it to make sure that all the convoys that are going to provide support have access.”

The UN agency warned that with so many bodies still to be recovered from beneath the rubble, there are concerns that underground water flowing down the mountain will contaminate local drinking water sources. 

Most of the area’s sources of clean drinking water are now inaccessible because of the landslide.  

“What is needed now, obviously, is access to clean water; quite a lot of the water that normally the community would access is already under rubble,” Mr. Viriri said. “So, providing that along with, food, of course, clothing, shelter items, kitchen utensils, anything that will try and alleviate the hardship that the people are facing right now.”

Heavy rains continue to hamper the relief effort, however. “This landslide that happened on Friday had not happened before in this area so it’s hard to say if it will happen again,” the IOM spokesperson said. “The soil is unsteady…and you’ve seen some of the videos of the water coming out in some of the rubble, so that makes it even more so. Yes, unfortunately we have to consider that it might happen again.”

ends

STORY: Papua New Guinea landslide update - IOM

TRT: 2’23”

SOURCE: UNTV CH

RESTRICTIONS: NONE

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

ASPECT RATIO: 16:9

DATELINE: 28 MAY 2024 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

1. Exterior wide: UN Geneva flag alley

2. Wide: Press conference room, UN Geneva.

3. SOUNDBITE (English) – Itayi Viriri, UN migration agency (IOM) regional spokesperson for Asia and the Pacific (from Bangkok via Zoom): “The National Disaster Center has estimated that up to 2000 people are still buried under the rubble after the massive landslide that took place on Friday at 3am when most people were probably sleeping.

4. Wide: journalists seated and TV camera operators in press room.

5. SOUNDBITE (English) – Itayi Viriri, UN migration agency (IOM) regional spokesperson for Asia and the Pacific (from Bangkok via Zoom) “A lot of the people who have been affected by this landslide actually moved to this area after escaping tribal conflicts in other parts of the province of Enga. So, these are people who are already displaced who are now having to move to other locations.”

6. Medium: journalists in the Press room.

7. SOUNDBITE (English) – Itayi Viriri, UN migration agency (IOM) regional spokesperson for Asia and the Pacific (from Bangkok via Zoom): “What is needed now, obviously, is access to clean water; quite a lot of the water that normally the community would access is already under rubble. So, providing that along with, food, of course, clothing, shelter items, kitchen utensils, anything that will try and alleviate the hardship that the people are facing right now.”

8. Medium: Journalists seated in the Press room.

9. SOUNDBITE (English) – Itayi Viriri, UN migration agency (IOM) regional spokesperson for Asia and the Pacific (from Bangkok via Zoom): And the reality also is that access to the area for, you know, Government and other agencies is quite difficult. Just today, this morning, one of the main thoroughfares leading to this area, a bridge there collapsed. And now they have to fix it to make sure that all the convoys that are going to provide support have access.”

10. Medium: journalists seated amid microphones.

11. SOUNDBITE (English): Itayi Viriri, UN migration agency (IOM) regional spokesperson for Asia and the Pacific (from Bangkok via Zoom): “This landslide that happened on Friday had not happened before in this area so it’s hard to say if it will happen again. But with the continued heavy rains in the vicinity obviously everything is – the soil is unsteady – and all the rubble is still (seeing) some movement and you’ve seen some of the videos of the water coming out in some of the rubble, so that makes it even more so. (So) yes, unfortunately we have to consider that it might happen again.”

12. Medium shot: Journalist in the Press room.

Additional images from PNG here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1qvqnOum0R2Lg0FzyeHnXRvoRbKCLDu4Z


Documents 1
Download Storyline
Download

Audio Files 1
Download Papua New Guinea disaster - IOM 28 May 2024
Download

Similar Stories

HRC60 Press Conference: Report of the Sudan Fact-Finding Mission - 09 September 2025

2

1

2

Press Conferences , Edited News | HRC

HRC60 Press Conference: Report of the Sudan Fact-Finding Mission - 09 September 2025 ENG FRA

Launch of the latest report of the Sudan Fact-Finding Mission.

Ukraine attacks - health update - WHO

1

1

1

Edited News | WHO

Ukraine attacks - health update - WHO ENG FRA

Ukraine: ‘Relentless’ attacks rattle health system as winter approaches: WHO

Ambulances attacked, chronically ill patients lacking care and no peace in sight: for millions of Ukrainians, the run-up to another winter of war is just the latest life-or-death challenge they face, the UN health agency (WHO) said on Tuesday.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights presents report on Sri Lanka to 60th HRC

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights presents report on Sri Lanka to 60th HRC ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Monday delivered his report on Sri Lanka to the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

HRC 60 HC Volker Türk Global update speech

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

HRC 60 HC Volker Türk Global update speech ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Monday delivered his global update to the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

DRC: UN report raises spectre of war crimes and crimes against humanity

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

DRC: UN report raises spectre of war crimes and crimes against humanity ENG FRA

A UN report on the Democratic Republic of Congo raises specter of war crimes and crimes against humanity in North and South Kivu, according to UN Human Rights Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani.

Global air pollution update - WMO 04 September 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | WMO

Global air pollution update - WMO 04 September 2025 ENG FRA

As billions of people continue to breathe polluted air that causes more than 4.5 million premature deaths every year, UN climate experts on Friday highlighted how damaging microscopic smoke particles from wildfires play their part, travelling half-way across the world.

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on Cameroon

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on Cameroon ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Office Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence made the following comment on the on-going presidential election process in Cameroon at the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva. 

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on Myanmar

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on Myanmar ENG FRA

The UN Human Rights Office released a new report on Myanmar, describing death, destruction and desperation which reflect atrocities committed in 2017. 

Afghanistan earthquake update OCHA - IFRC - UNHCR

1

1

1

Edited News | OCHA , IFRC , UNHCR

Afghanistan earthquake update OCHA - IFRC - UNHCR ENG FRA

Afghanistan: Humanitarians scramble to reach survivors of deadly quake; response at ‘breaking point’

In remote eastern Afghanistan, aid workers are racing to assist survivors of Sunday’s devastating earthquake as the death toll continues to climb, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.

Gaza - Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA

1

1

1

Edited News | UNRWA

Gaza - Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA ENG FRA

The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, repeated his urgent call for a ceasefire in Gaza on Friday, amid increased military Israeli activity in the enclave’s largest city.

Gaza update - OCHA WHO 29 August 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | OCHA , WHO

Gaza update - OCHA WHO 29 August 2025 ENG FRA

Amid reports of increased Israeli military operations across Gaza City on Friday, UN aid agencies repeated urgent warnings of ongoing famine and a likely rise in preventable disease, linked to the dire living conditions in the war-shattered enclave.

OHCHR-Ravina Shamdasani: increasing executions in Iran

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

OHCHR-Ravina Shamdasani: increasing executions in Iran ENG FRA

UN calls for Iran to halt executions and move towards ending the death penalty.