By Tristan Clements, World Vision Papua New Guinea and Pamela Sitko, World Vision Asia Pacific: Updates by Gary Fagan, World Vision Pacific communications 

UPDATE DECEMBER 23: Thousands of people including women and children have been left homeless and forced to move to higher ground after hours of tidal surges lashed the coastline of northern Papua New Guinea on December 8.

The tidal surges caused massive damage to five different coastal provinces affecting 50,000-80,000 people in New Ireland, East Sepik, Manus, Madang and Bougainville.The calamity devastated basic forms of livelihood support such as gardens and drinking water. Many report their homes were swept away and are now stranded and in need of urgent assistance.

World Vision, in partnership with the Red Cross, has distributed 68 family kits consisting of cooking pots, knives, laundry soap and clothing to affected families in the coastal area of Madang. Mosquito nets, metal buckets and gardening tools were also distributed.

World Vision has been doing development and relief work in Papua New Guinea for more than 30 years. The agency has responded to emergencies across Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands, including the April 2007 tsunami which affected 60,000 people in the Solomon Islands.  

December 11: Tidal surges known as a “king tides” a name given to exceptionally high tides, lashed a 500-mile (800 km) stretch of coastline across northern Papua New Guinea and the Marshall Islands in the Pacific on Tuesday, forcing hundreds to evacuate their homes.

The low-lying islands and coastal areas most affected in Papua New Guinea (PNG) include east and west Sepik Provinces, Madang Province, New Ireland Province and Bougainville Autonomous Region. The National Disaster Centre has been activated and provincial authorities are carrying out assessments. World Vision is prepositioned to assist the government with an emergency response.

The surge peaked at about 1.5m above sea-level and washed into coastal communities. The event took place yesterday Tuesday afternoon, lasting several hours in many places.

Papua New Guinea’s The National newspaper reported that: "Huge waves that lasted for about six hours lashed these areas and created pools as deep as two meters, sending sediment and debris flooding into homes and businesses".

Information is still coming in from remote areas. The BBC reports at least 1,500 people were evacuated and hundreds of homes and businesses were submerged under water. Local reports say three people are dead and severe damage has been done to roads and community infrastructure.

Papua New Guinea has seen sea levels rise in low lying coastal regions – often pointed to as one of the symptoms of climate change. World Vision’s report on climate change titled Planet Prepare talks about an environmental trend that threatens to turn from a “trickle into a torrent”. The report warns that while the “Cold War may be over but a Warm War has barely begun”, citing the world’s first climate change evacuation in Carteret Islands, a low lying region.

As more islands brace themselves for the effects of climate change, those who are forced to abandon their coastal homes will be known as “Climate Refugees”, refugees without hope of ever returning home.

World Vision first began operating in Papua New Guinea in 1970 and has been doing relief and development work in coastal communities in Madang, Port Moresby and Bougainville areas.