Food concerns in PNG

Reports from Papua New Guinea say about 54,000 people directly affected by tropical Cyclone Ita face food shortages in the next two weeks.

The Post Courier reports figures provided by the Milne Bay provincial disaster office.

The assessment estimates 54,414 people have been affected with 1159 houses and 5390 food gardens destroyed.

The figures are based on a visit by a National Disaster Office team that carried out a 400km radius aerial survey in the cyclone affected islands using a PNG Defence Force helicopter.

The paper reports the south of Sudest Island is the worst affected area, as Ita passed 60km from the island, throwing trees into the sea, smashing houses and wiping out food gardens for about 20 kilometres along the coast.