Disaster response must be reviewed : Juffa

The government needs to review the country’s disaster response mechanisms in order to coordinate and respond to natural disasters effectively and in a timely fashion.

Vocal governor Gary Juffa described the response to the recent earthquake disaster in Hela and Southern Highland Province as very poor and suggests an immediate review is conducted by the government.

As well as a review, “every province should be equipped with a provincial disaster plan that is tied to the National Disaster plan,” said Juffa.

He said the responsibility of national disasters come under the Department of Provincial and Local Level Governments and should be adequately funded and be able to respond in a timely manner in situations of a disaster.

Governor Juffa pointed out that disaster management in the country was so poor since the National Disaster Office was highly politicized because it was operating within the PM’s Department.

He blamed the slowness in responding to disasters on the fact that the country’s National Disaster Policy was outdated and hence ill coordinated.