Informing humanitarians worldwide 24/7 — a service provided by UN OCHA

Solomon Islands: Flash Floods - Apr 2014

Disaster description

Heavy rain from a tropical depression, which later became Tropical Cyclone Ita, caused severe flooding in the Solomon Islands at the beginning of April 2014, killing 22 people and affecting and over 50,000. The worst affected area was the capital Honiara after the Mataniko River burst its banks on 3 Apr. Houses were washed away and infrastructure damaged, with an estimated 12,000 people affected. At the peak of the crisis, there were around 10,000 people displaced in nearly 30 evacuation centres in Honiara. By 12 May, 10 evacuation centres still housed 4,477 people. Over 9,000 households in Honiara, Guadalcanal and Isabel had lost 75 to 100 per cent of their food gardens. Drinking water remained a concern for an estimated 50 per cent of the 50,000 people affected. (OCHA, 12 May 2014)

The National Disaster Council endorsed the Humanitarian Action Plan (HAP) on 24 Apr, which requires US$13.6 million for three months. Priority areas are health, WASH, shelter, protection and food security.

As of 22 May, over 2,500 people remained in eight evacuation centres in Honiara. Flood-affected health facilities and schools were still in need of repair. (OCHA, 22 May 2014)

By 25 Jun, over 1,000 people remained in three evacuation centres in Honiara. A Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) grant totaling $1.8 million has been approved to support Health, Nutrition and WASH activities. A revision of the Humanitarian Action Plan focusing on early recovery is underway. (OCHA, 25 Jun 2014)

The total number of people reached through this operation exceeded the target that was set in the Emergency Appeal. In all, some 66,000 people were reached with water, sanitation and hygiene promotion, as well as health activities; 1,428 households received emergency shelter kits and 2,878 households received household kits. However it is recognized that there may be some overlap in the beneficiary figures. Beneficiaries (especially within evacuation centres) would have received water, sanitation and hygiene promotion activities, and also received either a household kits or emergency shelter kits. This scenario, coupled with the continual movement of people in flood affected communities and their very limited means to identify themselves, resulted in challenges for data recording. (IFRC Final Report, 9 July 2015)

Affected Countries

Latest Updates

Maps and Infographics

Most Read

Other disasters affecting the country