Highland Highway Challenge Continues
A week later the Highland Highway is still closed! The prices of fuel, groceries, and supplies are doubling and tripling. 
The Western Highlands supplies are less and less. Mike and I went to town on Saturday, stocking up on groceries for the next 4 months. We are thankful for the garden and vegetable market! We will buy chicken from people in the village when it is needed. We could find no diesel in Mt. Hagan on Saturday to fuel up before coming back to Kudjip.
Since diesel is in short supply, the PMV fares have increased. I was told that a fare from Kudjip to Banz that was 80 toea now costs 2 Kena. 
People can’t afford the PMV fares. This has caused a decrease in patients coming to the hospital for treatment which in turn causes the nursing staff hours to be cut. As you know this will have a huge impact on the economy of the Western Highlands.
Air New Guinea, the airline, is carrying all of its fuel from Port Morseby, so that they can land and take off from Mt. Hagan. They have had to cut down on cargo and passengers for the extra fuel weight. This is having an impact on businesses in Mt. Hagan and the WHP.
Mike is looking over the hospital project and support housing projects very carefully to see where he stands with materials. 
There is no cement to be found in Mt. Hagan for the foundations that need poured for the support housing projects. The hospital has materials at this time but not all the materials are in place.
There are no relief organizations that are coming in to help at this time. On the Goroka side there have been food supplies brought to the Simbu area for some relief for the people who are misplaced from their homes.
