BY RODRICK DESURI
Auki
Director of the Disaster Office in Auki, Malaita Province has said drought season is not a new thing, and people should know what they can do during such times.
Pearson Simi, who is manning the Disaster Office in Auki, in an interview with the paper yesterday said the drought seasons have been experienced a few times by the people of Malaita Province in the ’90s and 2000s.
He said during this current El Niño season, people should know what to do and how to prepare for it.
“Already in Malaita Province, we have previous experience with the drought season. That was in 1996 and 1997, and in 2015 and 2016, and now it is coming back, so we know what to do and how we can survive during such times,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said that the government, along with the National Disaster Management Office, has come up with a strong national plan for disaster and mechanisms to respond to any hazards and impacts.
He said they are waiting for response from the government before they deploy an assessment team to conduct an initial assessment on impacted areas in the province.
He added that the assessment team will not only assess the areas where they have received reports, but they will also conduct assessments throughout the entire province.
The paper understands that the Disaster Office in the province has activated its watch on the impacts of El Niño being experienced in the country.
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