More than 45,000 people in Papua New Guinea's the Gulf and Southern Highlands provinces have been affected by flooding, following a month of torrential rain which has caused widespread damage.
The Post Courier says that there have been no reports of lives lost but National Disaster Office reports say the continuous rain since the second week of June has caused houses in some villages to completely wash away.
It says food crops and infrastructure, including bridges, have been destroyed, and landslides have been triggered in parts of the Southern Highlands along the Highlands Highway.
In Wabo, Uru and Uraru villages, houses were completely washed away, forcing some families to move to higher grounds to live in make shift camps.
The National Disaster Office reports say clean water sources have also been contaminated by rising water levels.
Relief supplies are being delivered, and the government has committed US 2 million dollars to the two areas.
Heavy rain in Papua New Guinea. Photo: RNZI / Johnny Blades
