New Delhi. Bharat has announced 1 million dollars immediate relief assistance to Papua New Guinea after the volcanic eruption of Mount Ulawun. The Ministry of External Affairs said that Bharat extends deep sympathy to the Government and the people of Papua New Guinea for the damage and destruction caused by the disaster. It added that Bharat has extended immediate relief assistance to support relief for rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts as a close friend and development partner under the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation and as a gesture of solidarity with the friendly people of Papua New Guinea. The Ministry also recollected Bharat’s support to the island nation in the past during times of crisis and devastation caused by natural disasters as in the wake of the earthquake in 2018 and volcanic eruption in 2019.
The volcanic eruption of Mount Ulawun on the 20th of last month has so far forced the evacuation of more than 26,000 people and created urgent humanitarian needs.