This report covers the period 1 January – 31 December 2012.

Overview

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.

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.

The Global Overview is a weekly update that collates humanitarian information from a wide range of sources. Its primary objective is to rapidly inform humanitarian decision makers by presenting a summary of major humanitarian crises, both recent and protracted.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully today announced New Zealand is providing $4 million to help Samoa’s tourism sector recover from the devastating impact of Cyclone Evan.

“New Zealand and Samoa agree that a strong tourism sector is essential for employment opportunities, foreign exchange earnings and government revenue,” Mr McCully says.

“Early recovery for the tourism sector will be especially important to revive income and employment, and would ensure preparedness for the UN Small Islands Developing States conference to be hosted by Samoa in 2014.”

The Global Overview is a weekly update that collates humanitarian information from a wide range of sources. Its primary objective is to rapidly inform humanitarian decision makers by presenting a summary of major humanitarian crises, both recent and protracted.

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.

The Global Overview collates information from a wide range of sources and displays this information in a manner that allows for quick comparison of different humanitarian crises. Its primary objective is to rapidly inform humanitarian decision makers by presenting a summary of major humanitarian crises, both recent and protracted.