(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) As volcanic eruption hits Papua New Guinea, India announces USD 1 million for immediate relief assistance to support relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in Papua New Guinea.

"India extends deep sympathy to the Government and people of Papua New Guinea for the damage and destruction caused by the disaster," the Ministry of External Affairs stated in an official statement.

Mount Ulawun in Papua New Guinea erupted on November 20, forcing the evacuation of approximately 26,000 people and creating critical humanitarian needs.

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India donated humanitarian aid in solidarity with the people of Papua New Guinea. The Government of India "extends immediate relief assistance to support relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction efforts in Papua New Guinea as a close friend and development partner under the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) and as a gesture of solidarity with the friendly people of Papua New Guinea," according to the statement.

Ulawun, the most active volcano in the South Pacific island, spewed smoke up to 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) into the air on November 20, according to the country's Geohazards Management Division, in its first substantial blow-up in years, as reported by Al Jazeera.

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India has consistently stood behind Papua New Guinea in times of crisis and destruction caused by natural catastrophes, as it did in the aftermath of the 2018 earthquake and the 2019 volcano eruption.

Papua New Guinea is located on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of seismic faults that circles the Pacific Ocean and is the site of much of the world's earthquake and volcanic activity. Ulawun has erupted several times since the 1700s, with the most recent large eruption in 2019 forcing over 5,000 people to flee.

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