Australia pledges US$1.7 million in aid after Cyclone Maila kills 11 in Pacific

Australia has pledged A$2.5 million (US$1.7 million) in aid to Pacific neighbours Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, after tropical Cyclone Maila caused devastating floods and landslides that killed 11.Australia stood “shoulder to shoulder” with its neighbours, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Sunday, pledging A$1 million for Papua New Guinea and A$1.5 million for the Solomon Islands, where severe impacts have been felt in remote communities across Western and Choiseul provinces.Maila passed through the Solomon Sea with wind gusts of nearly 300 km/h (190mph) and was briefly classified as a Category 5 cyclone before weakening.Entire villages were destroyed in the storm, which hit coastal areas with full force, with Papua New Guinea’s autonomous region of Bougainville among the worst affected, officials and local media said on Monday.Locals look at floodwaters from the Ramazon River in Papua New Guinea due to heavy rains from tropical Cyclone Maila. Photo: AFPEight people died in a nighttime landslide when a house was buried under mud, according to the Post Courier newspaper, citing authorities.Papua New Guinea’s public broadcaster NBC reported initial estimates put more than 10,000 people affected and nearly 20,000 in need of immediate aid across Bougainville.