Torrential rains caused by Tropical Depression TD17F caused widespread flooding on 30 March 2012 in particularly the Western Division of Fiji. The floods killed four people and temporarily displaced 15,000 people, causing damages to infrastructure, schools, homes, businesses and agriculture. With power and electricity disrupted for days, at least 150,000 people were affected. A State of Natural Disaster was declared for parts of the west of Fiji.
Government, through the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) and the Ministry of Education, is pursuing a disaster plan to help people during times of natural disasters.
Commissioner Western Joeli Cawaki said they have learnt their lesson over the years especially in times of flooding or a hurricane.
“The NDMO and the Ministry of Education have come up with a strategic plan to make sure that education and programmes continue at evacuation centres,” Mr Cawaki said.
Fijian communities and friends of Fiji in Europe came together this week in an overwhelming show of support for Fiji’s flood victims at the Woluwe Cultural Centre in Brussels, Belgium.
The cultural concert fundraiser was opened by the Head of the Pacific Division in the European External Action Service (EEAS), Mr. Ranieri Sabatucci and marked the culmination of six weeks of preparation for this event.
Supporters to this cause included the diplomatic community and friends of Fiji in Brussels and the Fiji diaspora in Germany, the Netherlands, France, Wales and Belgium.
Volunteers are a critical component of disaster operations especially during natural disasters says the Ministry of Provincial Development permanent secretary Inia Seruiratu.
He says that while Fiji’s volunteer programme is still new, during disasters people go out of their way to help those in need.
“Volunteers are important to us (National Disaster Management Office) and during natural disasters we rely on them which makes them very critical to our work”, Mr Seruiratu said.
“So the establishment of the National Volunteer Scheme is very important.”
People affected from the January and March floods in the western division can expect to continue receiving supplies thanks to the generosity of the many organisations who have contributed for those affected.
This was the comment by the Ministry of Provincial Development and Disaster Management permanent secretary, Mr Inia Seruiratu, as he received donated food items from the Latter Day Saints church in Suva today.
The $55,000 worth of food items includes bottled water, rice, sugar, tin fish and biscuits among others.
As experience with both disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) grows, there is increasing recognition that these two fields share a common focus: reducing the vulnerability of communities and contributing to sustainable development. The high level of climate-related risks in the Pacific, make DRR and CCA key policy goals. The objective of this study is to provide an analysis of the current level of integration of DRR and CCA in the region, with an emphasis on the policy and institutional environment.
THE continuous generous donation by business houses and individuals to the Prime Minister’s Flood Relief Fund is enabling Government to assist those who were severely affected by the two floods.
The Prime Minister’s Office received over $168,078 in donation this morning from a variety of business houses and one individual, a social welfare recipient who turned up this morning to support the relief fund.
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama thanked all the groups and reminded them that whatever the amount, Government was happy that they felt for their fellow citizens.
Flood relief assistance continues to pour in from various organisations and individual countries for the victims affected in the recent floods in the Western Division.
More than $3million was donated to the Prime Minister Flood Appeal Relief Fund out of which $1.5 million was released for rehabilitation works.
The Ministry of Provincial Development permanent secretary Mr Inia Seruiratu said flood assessments had been submitted to Cabinet already and they continue to focus on recovery and rehabilitation works.
The Ministry of Works and Public Utilities today presented a sum of $3520 to the Ministry of Provincial Development which will go towards the Prime Minister’s Flood Relief Fund.
Deputy Secretary Transport and Energy (DSTE), Mr Malakai Tadulala said today’s event reflected his Ministry’s concern for the welfare of those who suffered in the Western division from the recent floods. He said the donation would assist in the on-going rehabilitation works.
A partnership between the Land and Water Resource Management Division (LWRM) of the Department of Agriculture and the Central Division Drainage Board was signed this morning at the Agriculture Department Headquarters in Raiwaqa.
This is to undertake the Daku Village climate change adaptation measures for drainage improvement and salt water intrusion protection works.
The recent floods in Nadi left devastating marks on disadvantaged communities; incurring loss of properties and personal belongings for poor families. The women from Nawaka and Navakai in Nadi who had suffered from the recent flooding, had a reason to smile yesterday after receiving donations that will provide them with a new hope to rebuild their lives.
Asco Motors’s Toyota Tsusho South Pacific Holdings and the Fiji Motors Association made a donation to the Prime Minister’s Flood Relief Appeal Fund today.
Asco Motors chief executive officer Abdul Hafiz said the recent floods were the worst to hit Fiji in decades, which resulted in widespread devastation including loss of life and severe damage to infrastructure, homes, crops, motor vehicles, animals, shops and schools.
The impact of flooding is expected to ease in the Navua Delta as the dredging works in the river got underway recently.
Dredging works will allow for an increased flow capacity with the removal of silt and sand forming at the mouth of the river.
This will also improve access navigation to islands outside the Navua periphery and those that are using Navua River as their route for transportation.
Children at schools in the flood-affected western part of Fiji's main island of Viti Levu are getting free lunches.
Students at 25 schools in the Nadi and Lautoka area were reportedly not coming to school because their families did not have enough food.
The Hare Krishna organisation is providing free cooked lunches for the schoolchildren. Other NGOs are also working to help those affected by the flooding.
The Hindu religious organisation's spokesman says their efforts to help people will continue for several weeks to come.
In light of the recent adverse weather conditions around the country, the Housing Authority of Fiji is extending its flood assistance program by offering a nation wide discount to its customers ground rent accounts.
Effective immediately, Housing Authority leased land customers who make payment till 31st May, 2012 will receive a discount of 8 percent.
Thereafter ground rent customers will receive a 6 percent discount until June 30th and a 4 percent discount will be in place for the month of July, 2012.
Ensuring a secure supply of food is essential, given the world’s (and especially Asia’s) growing population, high and volatile food prices, increasingly scarce resources, and changing environment. This paper discusses the drivers behind food insecurity in Asia and points to ways to mitigate it.
The Clean-Up Campaign organized by the RFMF Plan of operation and distribution of resources continues with a total of 50 RFMF personnel, 30 are based in Lautoka and 20 are based in Nadi.
The NEOC together with the District EOCs continues to monitor the situation on the ground.
The NEOC will now be manned by NDMO staff daily beginning from tomorrow 2nd May, 2012.
