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.

The Pacific Humanitarian Team (PHT) is a partnership of all agencies and organizations that have a mandate to respond to natural disasters in the Pacific Island region, and that agree to coordinate international humanitarian action according to a cluster or sector approach. It was established in July 2008 by humanitarian stakeholders at the Regional Inter-Agency Contingency Planning Workshop for Humanitarian Assistance in the Pacific to deliver timely, effective and coordinated international response to natural disasters in 14 Pacific Island Countries (PICs).

In this Climate Update, highlights include:

· Between 9 and 11 named Tropical Cyclones were forecast for the 2012 / 2013 South Pacific tropical cyclone season. 3 named Tropical Cyclones have occurred in the South Pacific so far.

· 11 Tropical Depressions have formed in the South Pacific since the beginning of the Tropical Cyclone Season.

· In the South Pacific, one Tropical Depression increased in intensity to Category 3 (Tropical Cyclone Garry) and two to Category 4 (Tropical Cyclone Evan and Freda).

Release of the 2011-12 Annual Review of Aid Effectiveness

The inaugural Annual Review of Aid Effectiveness was released today by Foreign Minister Bob Carr. This new and important document is part of a suite of reforms flowing from the 2011 Independent Review of Aid Effectiveness. Its purpose is to inform Cabinet discussion of the four-year budget strategy outlined in the Comprehensive Aid Policy Framework and report on the aid program’s performance against the Framework.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

In September 2009, a tsunami struck the shores of Niuatoputapu Island in Tonga, destroying the community’s homes and livelihoods.

The World Bank is working with the Tongan Government and partners to help communities rebuild and making them safer from future disasters.

People now feel more secure after relocating to safer areas and living in disaster-proofed houses.

Australia is assisting Pacific nations better prepare for natural disasters and extreme weather, with a focus on building resilience throughout the region to the impacts of climate change.

Australia’s funding includes:

• $32 million over the next four years to support 14 Pacific countries to use local weather, climate and sea level data to plan for unusual and extreme weather

• $16 million over the next four years to help Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Fiji and Tonga build their resilience to natural disasters

Tropical Cyclone Evan affected area

Link: Pacific: Tropical Cyclone Evan (TD04F) Situation Report No. 1 (as of 14 Dec 2012)

Highlights

• Tropical Cyclone Evan was stationary over Samoa for approximately 24 hours.

• The Ministry of Police has confirmed that there have been two casualties.

• The whole of Samoa is without electricity, which may not be restored for up to two weeks.

• The whole of Samoa is without water, except for critical services such as the hospital.

• Tropical Cyclone Evan is predicted to pass close to Niuafo’ou in northern Tonga as a Category 3 tropical cyclone on Sunday.

12/14/2012 03:02 GMT

APIA, Samoa, Dec 14, 2012 (AFP) - The Pacific nation of Samoa faces up to two weeks without electricity, officials said Friday, after a cyclone that killed two people and sent hundreds fleeing to safety destroyed its main power station.

Cyclone Evan hit on Thursday afternoon, uprooting trees, tearing roofs off houses and flooding the capital Apia, prompting the Samoan government to declare a disaster and order a massive clean-up operation.