Prime Minister Hon. James Marape has called on provincial governments to take the lead in responding to the prolonged El Niño-induced drought, stressing that Papua New Guinea must mobilise its own leadership, resources and institutions to assist affected communities.

Prime Minister Marape made the call in Parliament in response to questions from East Sepik Governor Hon. Allan Bird concerning the Government’s drought response.

He said the National Government had allocated K2.5 million to each province for administration and coordination, while an initial K2.5 million had been provided towards the planned K5 million allocation for each district.

The Prime Minister urged provincial governments, district development authorities and local-level governments to assess the situation in their respective areas, mobilise available resources and take immediate action to assist their people.

He stressed that provincial governments must lead the response on the ground, with the National Government providing continued support through responsible ministries and agencies.

Prime Minister Marape said the response must address immediate food and water shortages while also focusing on restoring agricultural production, strengthening water security and protecting communities against future droughts.

He encouraged investment in irrigation, water purification, desalination and other practical solutions to reduce dependence on rainfall.

The Prime Minister also called for cooperation across political boundaries, stressing that disaster response was a shared national responsibility.

“In times of disaster, there’ll be no Opposition or Government. All of us together, working side by side to help our people in this tough time,” he told Parliament.

Prime Minister Marape said the Government was awaiting response plans from individual provinces to develop a collective national strategy for relief, recovery and restoration.

He assured provincial leaders that the National Government would continue working with them to ensure available resources reached communities most in need.