Enga Province

I'm Seumanu Ulu Lemame Te'evavsaafai.

In Papua New Guinea, a severe hailstorm struck parts of Pilikambi area in Enga Province, causing damage to homes, food gardens, and crops this week.

The national newspaper reports hailstones covered the ground, roads, and rooftops, creating a layer several centimeters thick.

Distraught community members are now calling for urgent assistance from provincial and district authorities.

And that there is Chief Executive of the Centre for Democracy and Dialogue, Neelesh Lal, speaking to reporter Mackenzie Smith.

[upbeat music] Well, it looked like a scene out of a winter wonderland, but the photos of ice-covered roads, homes, and gardens shared widely on social media were from Piligami Local Government in Papua New Guinea's Enga Province, where residents experienced a massive hailstorm.

Nancy Lasela describes how rainfall suddenly turned into an ice storm.

When I went to see the garden that I had planted, the newly planted gardens, I was so surprised to see it was all covered up by these, uh, hailstones.

A senior public health official in Papua New Guinea has proposed an interesting idea though, public autopsies.

Dr. Betty Koka is the head of Enga's Provincial Health Department, and she reasons that the issue of sanguma related violence is a huge public health risk.

But posters and ad campaigns just aren't gonna fix it.

She says that most of the attacks are down to someone getting sick or dying unexpectedly, so what if we gave people proof that the death had nothing to do with sorcery? Dr.

There are specific, um, climate changes that are occurring at the moment.

For example, in Enga Province, they've had, uh, at least a six-inch frost this year, which is very unusual, and of course, that had ongoing impact on crops.

A lot of these communities, they rely very heavily on all of their yields.

That's how they feed and that's how they are able to sustain a living amongst themselves in their community, looking at trade, et cetera as well.

Mr Hardy has since returned to Australia for medical treatment and he has been contacted for comment.

Now an increase in violence around the Pōgera gold mine in Papua New Guinea's Enga province has led to road closures and forced schools to shut their doors.

Secondary school teacher Lonely Kandao says he's concerned about the trauma from the fighting and the impact it has having on young people.

He told the ABC's reporter in PNG, Belinda Cora, that the students are turning away from the education to take part in tribal fighting.

It's, yeah, it's funny.

Like there are, so in Papua New Guinea, my province, or I'm from Enga, which is up in the highlands.

And my people are known as being quite volatile and hot-headed, you know, quite reactive.

And it's funny, like, you know, I remember little, not in bad ways, but growing up, like, you know, little comments, you know, would be said like, ah, yes, Sarah, like, ah.

A delegation involving representatives from several churches recently visited PNG workers in New South Wales and found the PALM scheme is a great opportunity, but there are challenges.

Their visit is timely after the alleged murder of a seasonal worker from Enga province, allegedly at the hands of a fellow Engan worker in regional Victoria.

Hilda Wayne reports.

The death of a

At a parliamentary committee hearing last week, the PNG Defense Force Commander Philip Polowora spoke about where the biggest risks still lie ahead of the election

Uh, Enga is the worst.

Next is Hela.

Uh, Southern Highlands, but because of the, uh, Kumul Force 23, there's some, uh, you know, pressure on these gun smugglers.

But Enga will be the province that we have to keep an eye because it is the epicenter of everything that happens around in the highlands

When asked directly whether the amnesty had worked, his answer was mixed

I would say yes and no, because the control of the, uh, surrendered weapon, there must be some accountability and some transparency in the surrendered weapon.

The Special Operations Unit Kumul 23 will be launching Operation Kumul Peace, using the Terrorism Act to target illegal guns and those who possess them.