Rapid Response Payment No. 05/2007
Funds Sent To: The World Council of Churches Office in the Pacific
Amount Sent: US$49,892
Date: 14 March 2007
Details of Payment
Emergency: Fiji flash floods
Date of Emergency: from mid-February (alert sent out on February 22nd)
Implementing partners: Overall co-ordination of the relief programme will be carried out by the World Council of Churches Office in the Pacific in co-operation with the Pacific Conference of Churches and the Fiji Council of Churches. The WCC OP will also be responsible of reporting the whole relief programme. The Fiji Council of Churches and the Methodist Church in Fiji are assisting in the implementation and distribution of relief supplies.
Details of the emergency: Continuous heavy rain has been lashing the Pacific Islands of Fiji for the past three weeks causing wide spread flooding. The cyclone season in the Pacific is between November and April. A trough of low pressure to the north of the islands is the cause of this heavy downpour.
On the main islands of Viti Levu, the country's tourist destination of Nadi, a town of approximately 30,000 people, was completely under 2m of water forcing the army and the police to declare a state of emergency. Thousands of families lost their belongings as the floodwaters swept through their homes destroying food, clothes and household items. A major concern is the outbreak of diarrhoea, typhoid and dengue fever, which the health authorities are trying hard to contain.
The Western part of the main island is the hub of the tourism industry that was severely affected by the military coup in December 2006. Thousands of workers were made redundant prior to the beginning of the school year and families were finding it difficult to put food on the table let alone sending children to school. The flash floods exceeding two meters in height only added to this nightmare. Household items, clothes and food crops are completely destroyed with a possible outbreak of diseases. More than 3 000 families are affected.
The Northern Islands were the worst affected by the flash floods, including the second largest island to the north of the main island which was severely hit. More than 10,000 people are affected. Two villages in this Northern district have been completely washed away by floodwaters and hundreds of 500kg timber logs that tore down houses and swept away everything in its path. A total of 86 families are without homes having lost everything and are staying with friends and relatives in nearby villages.
The driving force in the Northern economy was the sugar industry that is on the verge of collapsing due to instability both politically and with insecure land tenure. The farmers have diversified into cash cropping as an alternative. The majority of their crops have been devastated and completely ruined by the floods drowning their hopes of subsistence food source and cash for their family's financial needs.
Fiji is under Military rule after a military coup in December 2006. The international community has placed bans, sanctions and withdrawn aid and diplomatic ties. With foreign aid withdrawn due to the political crisis and diplomatic ties severed, government assistance is not forthcoming and the majority of the families are left to fend for themselves. The international communities have not responded to the plea for assistance by the Government. Some international NGOs are carrying out their assessments and are also planning to provide some relief assistance by themselves.
Purpose of response:
To provide food relief and assistance to the worst affected areas ensuring the provision of basic needs (Food, shelter, sanitation health, water and temporary housing).
This response is based on an assessment conducted by the government Commissioner Northern and Western.
Beneficiary information and location of response:
Out of a total number of 2487 families affected by the flash floods, a total of 286 families are expected to benefit from this relief assistance. The beneficiaries are the Fijian and Indo-Fijian people selected according to need criteria without discrimination in terms of gender or religious denomination. The target villages/settlements are:
Labasa settlement - approximately 10, 000 people have been affected. The flash floods paused for more than a day destroying homes schools and most of the largely subsistence rural communities.
The District of Vaturova, Cakaudrove Province- 8 villages from this district were devastated from the recent flooding. Two villages of Vunamoli and Vaturekuka were completely destroyed. A total of 86 houses will be assisted in these two villages.
Nakoromakawa Village- 5 homes were lost in the flo
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
