Australia’s aid program will increase by $518 million in the 2013-14 budget to a record $5.7 billion – the equivalent of 0.37 per cent of gross national income (GNI) – the highest ODA/GNI level since 1985.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr said the Australian Government remained committed to increasing its aid budget to 0.5 per cent of GNI but this would be delayed to 2017-18 due to a write-dow in Government revenues.

The Asia-Pacific region remains the aid program’s highest priority, and will receive about 86 per cent of country specific aid in 2013-14.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed this week between Fiji and Papua New Guinea through both countries’ Labour Ministries that will see Fiji provide assistance to its Melanesian neighbour.

Fiji’s Minister for Labour Jone Usamate said the signing extended Fiji’s assistance to the Independent State of Papua New Guinea on Occupational Safety and Health Reform.

His counterpart from Papua New Guinea Minister Mark Maikapai initiated this South-South cooperation between the 2 nations in 2011.

The Caritas Annual Report shows our work in 2012 through five strategic priorities identified during the year: addressing poverty at home and abroad, responding to emergencies, upholding the dignity and rights of indigenous peoples, promoting environmental justice, and connecting effectively with our Catholic community.

Public donations topped $3 million last year, including a record Lent total of more than $900,000. We are grateful for the government’s New Zealand Aid Programme which contributed almost $1 million towards Caritas development and relief programmes.

What’s new from the Global Health Cluster?

A ‘Get Ready Disasters Happen’ campaign has been jointly launched by the Ministry for Health, Ministry for Rural & Maritime Development and National Disaster Management and UNICEF to inform and encourage people for disaster preparedness.

The Ministry of Rural & Maritime Development and National Disaster Management permanent secretary, Filipe Alifereti said the objective of the Get Ready Disasters Happen campaign is to promote key messages in order to strengthen communication with families and at the community level in support of disaster preparedness and response.

Fiji Roads Authority wants to reassure the public, especially those living in more remote rural areas, that work is proceeding as quickly as possible to repair damage caused by the recent rainy weather.

FRA chief executive Neil Cook, said “The rain was heavy, it was widespread and it continued for a long period of time. This means the road network has suffered across Fiji, but especially in the rural areas where a lack of gravel and a history of poor drainage maintenance combines to make some roads impassable”.

For the first time in their lives, 15 villagers from Gabagaba village took part in a Participatory Risk Mapping exercise led by USAID, through its Coastal Community Adaptation Project (C-CAP).

The project aims to build the resilience of Pacific communities to withstand the long and short-term effects of climate change caused by intense and frequent weather events, ecosystem degradation and sea-level rise.

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No.1257/96 of 20 June 1996 concerning humanitarian aid, and in particular Article 2 (a), Article 4 and Article 13 thereof;

Whereas:

(1) The Pacific Island States of Fiji and Samoa were severely affected by Cyclone Evan on its passage through the South Pacific when it made landfall in Samoa on 13 December, 2012 and in Fiji on 17 December 2012.

14/02/2013 - The European Union is providing €1.8 million to fund humanitarian assistance to communities affected by Typhoon Evan, which caused wide-spread damage in Fiji and Samoa in December 2012.

The decision by the EU to provide funding for humanitarian assistance came after a team of ECHO experts visited Fiji and Samoa shortly after the Typhoon caused wide-spread damage to the two islands. Assistance is required in the sectors of shelter, water and sanitation and particularly vulnerable families are in need of food and basic household items.