Communities in North Fly are facing severe shortages of food and clean drinking water as dry conditions continue to affect parts of Western Province.

North Fly District Health Manager Rody Ukin says North Fly and Middle Fly are among the worst-affected areas.

“We are really affected, particularly in Western Province. North Fly and Middle Fly are purely really affected. Water and food production is very low at the moment.”

Ukin says food supplies in shops are running critically low, particularly rice and flour.

“Food in the shops, particularly rice and flour, is running out. The shops are empty.”

He says the last supplies arrived after a brief period of rain allowed ships to enter the area.

“The last time we had a bit of rain, a couple of ships came in and those supplies were offloaded. That was the last supply. Currently, the shops are empty, particularly rice and flour.”

Ukin says access to drinking water is also becoming increasingly difficult, with the town water supply operating under low pressure.

“Drinking water is also running out, and the town water supply is at very low pressure and is being controlled.”

He says people in villages are travelling long distances to find water, while some traditional water sources have dried up.

“People in the villages have to travel for kilometres to find drinking water. Some of those water sources have dried up, and the streams have also dried.”

Ukin says river levels have dropped significantly.

“All the rivers have dried up and are now like small creeks. The Fly River itself has gone down to below one metre deep.”

He says securing clean drinking water is now the district’s most urgent priority.

“Currently, our biggest challenge is that we just need clean water. We just need clean water.”

Ukin is calling for more support from the national government to help North Fly and Western Province respond to the crisis.

“We will need more support. The national government needs to put in more money for us, for North Fly and Western Province.”