Port Moresby – The International Organization for Migration (IOM), in close cooperation with Papua New Guinea’s National Disaster Centre (NDC) and West New Britain Provincial Administration, has completed a second round of Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) assessment in sites hosting people displaced by the eruption of Mt. Ulawan on 26 June. The eruption affected some 13,000 people.  

IOM, which is the co-lead of the Shelter, Non-Food Items and Camp Coordination Camp Management emergency response clusters in PNG, deployed DTM enumerator teams to both West New Britain and East New Britain provinces at the request of the NDC.  

In West New Britain, the DTM was rolled out within a week of the eruption. Between 28-29 June enumerators identified 6,694 displaced people in six sites. Two government-managed centres – Bakada and Kabaya – accounted for about 86 per cent of the total.  

In East New Britain, DTM teams working with the East New Britain Provincial Disaster Centre, identified and profiled another 2,528 people at the Pandi Bageti displacement site.  

Following feedback from the first round of assessments, NDC asked for a second round focused on West New Britain, where communities were most affected by falling ash and scoria. 

The assessment, which took place from 16-19 July, identified 8,041 displaced people in eight sites, including the six sites previously identified. IOM also worked with the Papua New Guinea Red Cross Society and Bialla Local Level Government to register displaced families living in the Bakada and Kabaya care centres. 

NDC’s Captain Kelvin Laki thanked all the agencies taking part in the data collection and registration. “NDC is grateful of this partnership and inter-agency approach,” he said.  

The DTM provides information to government, local authorities and humanitarian partners on gaps and needs, displacement patterns and monitoring to inform the coordinated and targeted delivery of aid to those most in need in care centres. It also supports return planning.  

For more information, please contact at IOM Port Moresby, Lance Bonneau, Tel: +675 3213655, Email: lbonneau@iom.int or Peter Murorera, Email: pmurorera@iom.int