Reference :
V-P-PG-E-00176
Date :
24/10/2016
Caption :
Southern Highlands province, Katiloma. Portrait of Rowena, a missionary.
Confidentiality level :
public
Publication restrictions :
publication without restrictions
Description :
ICRC website, photo gallery "Lives lost, futures destroyed: Stories from Papua New Guinea’s tribal wars", 29 May 2017
"Mother of two and a missionary, Rowena, resides in Katiloma, Southern Highlands Province. Her community has been involved in a long-running tribal conflict with a neighbouring clan, which has seen the use of brutal tactics including sexual violence and the targeting of children. "When the fighting first erupted, I was at my gate, I saw fighters from both sides throwing knives, bows and arrows, and I heard gunfire. We sheltered in the church. We were so frightened, after seeing all the harm from the fighting, that we left our homes and fled to the mountains. We lived there for a few days without food, underneath a big tree. When we came back, lots of homes and belongings had been destroyed. The church was one of the few buildings still standing. We don’t feel safe yet; there is no peace agreement signed. The battle is still on. It’s a difficult situation because lots of people were killed on the other side and several were injured. I don’t think peace will come quickly. But I am praying to God for peace."
Home to some of the remotest communities in the world, the Papua New Guinea Highlands is a region of breathtaking, untouched beauty. However, these spectacular hills and valleys also harbor a disturbing reality: across the Highlands, tribal communities are at war. Vicious conflicts – over land, resources and other grievances – lead to thousands of displacements each year and rob families of their lives and livelihoods.
In Papua New Guinea's modern-day conflicts, no-one is spared from the fight – anyone or anything is a target – and tragically this includes women and children. Here, people caught up in these tribal disputes, share their stories, illustrating the serious, ongoing humanitarian impact of Papua New Guinea's chronic tribal wars."
Original material :
digital
Resolution :
3744x5616
Orientation :
portrait
Colour/B&W :
colour
