Four days after the huge landslide in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, only six bodies have been recovered from the masses of rock about 8 metres deep, the United Nations said on Tuesday.
The total affected population, which includes those in need of possible evacuation, is estimated at 7,849, with some 42% of them under the age of 16, the UN office in Papua New Guinea said in a statement.
The number of bodies recovered "is expected to increase as retrieval efforts continue amidst challenges due to unstable landslide conditions," that statement said.
Papua New Guinea's disaster agency has said more than 2,000 people could be buried under the rubble.
Several villages in the province of Enga were hit when part of a mountain collapsed in the early hours of Friday in the remote central highlands of Papua New Guinea.
The survivors urgently need clean water, food, clothing, shelter, medicine and psychological support, the government and emergency responders say.
Australia and New Zealand have pledged millions of dollars.
New Zealand's Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters said on Tuesday the government had approved an offer of practical and financial assistance, worth about NZ$1.5 million (US$923,000), to help with the response.
"The landslide in Enga Province in Papua New Guinea is an absolute tragedy. Our thoughts remain with all of those directly affected and the people and government of Papua New Guinea," Peters wrote on social media platform X.
"The precise nature of our assistance will be shaped by the needs of affected communities, as determined through ongoing discussions with PNG [Papua New Guinea] authorities," Peters added.
Overnight, Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said it would provide an initial A$2.5 million (US$1.6 million) in humanitarian assistance.
The Australian Defence Force was working closely with its counterparts in Papua New Guinea, Marles said.
"This work is yet another demonstration of the close partnership between our nations and militaries."
