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Dispatch of Japan Disaster Relief Team for Tsunami Disaster in Papua New Guinea

July 21, 1998

  1. On July 21 (Tue.), the Government of Japan decided to dispatch a Japan Disaster Relief Team (JDR medical team) of eleven members to Papua New Guinea, which has suffered damage from a tsunami caused by an earthquake.

  2. The tsunami struck West Sepik Province of Papua New Guinea at about 19:00 on July 17 inflicting great human and material losses. According to the National Disaster and Emergency Services, the death toll was 599 as of noon, July 20 (note: according to West Sepik Province Government, there were 1,212 deaths as of 9 am on July 21). More than 3,000 people are reported to be injured on missing although the number has not been confirmed. Great damage was done to houses, fruit trees and livestock. The Government of Papua New Guinea has therefore started its own relief activities and requested emergency assistance from the international community including Japan.

  3. The Government of Japan has decided to extend this emergency assistance from a humanitarian point of view, taking account of the scale of the disaster and the friendly relations between Japan and Papua New Guinea.
    The Government of Japan is also considering the extension of other assistance such as relief supplies.

  4. The departure schedule of the team is as follows:
    July 21 (Tue.) 19:00 Send-off in B-4 Special Waiting Room, 4th floor, Second Terminal, New Tokyo International Airport (Narita)
    21:45 Leave Narita JAL761
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