Around 270,000 people are still in need of urgent humanitarian aid in Papua New Guinea, almost one month after a 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck the country and killed more than 100 people, the United Nations says.
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The government and humanitarian organisations are working to send aid to remote areas, some of which continue to be cut-off due to the damage to infrastructure and landslides caused by the February 26 earthquake and its more than 150 aftershocks.
Around 125,000 people in need of assistance are children according to UNICEF, which delivered 23 tons of relief material this week, including tents, water purification tablets, hygiene kits and blankets.
"Children's lives are in danger," Karen Allen, the UNICEF Representative for Papua New Guinea, said in a statement.
"With limited access to basic necessities, families are struggling to survive in crowded shelters or to rebuild homes and food gardens," she added.
UNICEF said until now it had delivered 12,000 packets of therapeutic food and sufficient vaccines to protect 31,700 children against the increasing risk of disease outbreaks and malnutrition.
The provinces of Hela and Southern Highlands are the worst affected by the earthquake, which killed at least 110 people according to authorities.
Around 34,153 people have been displaced and have taken refuge in 39 makeshift shelters in community or health centres, according to the latest report on the situation jointly prepared by the Papuan government, the UN and humanitarian organisations.
The report said that 65 per cent of the health centres in Hela and Southern Highlands had been damaged and 32 per cent were still closed.
However, the main roads of the area have been completely or partially opened and the airports were becoming operational except the aerodromes of Huya and Komo, which are only accessible by helicopter.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that the earthquake had damaged water sources and people were forced to depend on rivers and surface water, increasing the risk of possible epidemic outbreaks in the area.
Earthquakes are common in the country, which is located on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of intense seismic and volcanic activity due to friction between tectonic plates.
Australian Associated Press
