ISLANDERS of Sikai’ana in the Malaita Outer Islands are calling on the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) to clarify why no relief aid was sent to them during the past five months of disaster they’d been through.
According to Sikai’ana islanders, many of them had resorted to eating only coconut after heavy winds and rain had spoilt their food crops and prevented them from going out fishing.
“We have suffered terribly in the past five months without any assistance or aid at all from the NDMO or the national government,” Sikaiana man Stephen Seti claimed.
“Our gardens and food crops were severely destroyed by the rain and people can’t go out to sea as well on most occasions because of the strong winds experienced.
“We have informed our MP and provincial member, however we had no positive responses from them,” MrSeti said.
He said that the past five months had been really tough for his people, adding that people are just now slowly trying to replant their food crops, having lived on coconut and meat for the past five months.
Attempts to talk to NDMO Director Lote Yates were unsuccessful.
Malaita Outer Islands MP, Martin Mokolo Kealoe and Provincial Member Ezekiel Teusa, also could not be reached to comment on the matter.
By JEREMY INIFIRI