Pacific Islands Report

Thousands need food in Bougainville

ARAWA, Papua New Guinea — An estimated 30,000 people in southern Bougainville are in desperate need of food, according to Australian aid worker Marcia Dwonczyk.

She said an unusually long wet season has contaminated drinking water and left crops rotting in the ground.

Schools have sent children home because there is no food for lunch, she said. “We’re hearing stories of women unable to breast feed their babies, children showing signs of malnutrition with bloated stomachs, and some communities living exclusively on coconuts and nothing else.”

Solomons reject int’l. peace force

HONIARA, Solomon Islands — The Cease-fire Monitoring Council has concluded that demands for an international monitoring force to deal with ethnic unrest in the country are “unwarranted.”

Co-chairmen Sir Peter Kenilorea and Paul Tovua said the council has decided that only Solomon Islanders should have responsibility for monitoring the current cease-fire between Guadalcanal’s Isatabu Freedom Movement and the Malaita Eagle Force.

They said the council’s strategy is to build community trust and confidence using local people only, who understand the Solomon Islands and its culture.

Guam housing tenants must do community work

HAGATNA, Guam — About 1,200 unemployed adult residents of Guam’s 14 public housing areas must perform eight hours of community service monthly or face being evicted, according to Henry Leon Guerrero of the Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority.

Residents aged 18 or older who do not have full time jobs are required to do the community service work, which includes cleaning and maintaining the housing facilities.

Only elderly and disabled residents and job trainees are exempt from the requirement.

“After the first 12 months, participants who do not complete their work hours will be given six months to make them up, or will be evicted,” Guerrero said.

Fiji tourism improving again

SUVA, Fiji Islands — The worst may be over for Fiji’s beleaguered tourism industry.
Air Pacific, the national airline, has reported an improvement in bookings since overseas governments downgraded travel advisories this month following the May 19 coup.

Airline board chairman Gerald Barrack said the airline had resumed some flights to Japan and would schedule other international flights according to market demands.

“With the downgrading of travel advisories we are seeing evidence of increased bookings,” he said.