The site of the Mulitaka landslide remains a sombre reminder of a groaning world. The May 24 disaster claimed 160 lives and dozens remaining entombed under metres of mud, debris and rubble. Connecting roads ways remain impacted, hindering the delivery of much-needed aid.
In July of 2024, Samaritan’s Purse International Relief responded to the survivors displaced not only by the landslide disaster but from months of tribal fighting. In partnership with the provincial disaster committee, households were identified for assistance. More than 200 kitchen kits filled with cooking and serving utensils were sourced and assembled by church partners in Mt Hagen. They were transported under military escort through unsealed highland roads over six hours to the shelter camp where many displaced families remained since the landslide.
Provincial District Administrator, Jerry Mako assisted the local churches to oversee the distribution, sharing a statement with local Christian radio station Jesus FM, he said,
“On behalf of the provincial government, the people of Porgera-Piyela, the people of Nete Lyaim, and the affected community we say thank you to Samaritan Purse… I am so grateful for this kind of real help to my people.”
Although there has been a huge response from the international community, addressing the emotional trauma of conflict and disaster has been largely looked over, especially amongst children and youth.
For several years, Samaritan’s Purse has organised shoebox-gift outreach programs throughout Papua New Guinea through Operation Christmas Child. Outreach events had come to a halt after tribal fighting broke out in Enga and the surrounding region.
Accompanying the 200 kitchen kits, were over 1600 gift-filled shoeboxes. More than 300 children from Mulitaka and neighbouring Porgera joined for the first outreach event since 2021. Covered in clay, a symbol of mourning, boys and girls sang Christian choruses at the top of their lungs. For the first time since the devastating landslide, the children sang so loudly in chorus songs of praise igniting again hope in the hearts of all present.
As part of the multifaceted response, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association chaplains were invited by local churches in Enga and Mt Hagen to present training seminars for church leaders to equip their congregations to come alongside their communities during times of disaster.
The role of local churches Enga and neighbouring provinces has been instrumental in the planning, sourcing and distribution of this response. Churches across several denominations have come together in Jesus’ Name to spread the hope they all share in the Gospel in a practical and meaningful way amongst their community.
Samaritan’s Purse Australia/New Zealand Director Mark Bennett shared this thoughts on the opportunity to respond to their pacific neighbours.
“We wanted to come and meet with local government and church leaders to see how we can contribute. Not so much solving a problem outright, but really enabling churches to respond to the needs of local people in a way that would continue long after the international community has come and gone.”
“So in that way we’re bringing churches across denominations to have a response together to help people in Jesus’ Name as Christian people serving those in need.”
We are thankful to so many partners who have committed prayer and gifts to empower Samaritan’s Purse, Operation Christmas Child and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association to respond together in a special way. Your support towards each ministry is heartfelt and has touched more than a thousand lives in the highlands of Papua New Guinea.