Update: 4:02PM PEOPLE of Southern Lau have received essential relief supplies from the Fiji Government response team who conducted damage assessments on the island in the past week.
The multi-sector team, led by the office of the divisional commissioner Eastern, was deployed on board the MV Iloiloivatu for one week to the islands of Ono-i-lau, Vatoa, Ogea, and Fulaga.
Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development, Disaster Management, and Meteorological Services Meleti Bainimarama said the two-fold objective of the team was accomplished and the focus now was on recovery and returning to normalcy.
“They were deployed firstly to ensure that lives were sustained through the provision of essential relief supplies. And secondly, to conduct damage assessments that could provide Government with a framework for long-term recovery in Ono-i-Lau and Vatoa specifically,” Mr Bainimarama said.
“These assessments indicate that Ogea and Fulaga were not impacted by the cyclone. While there were a few houses damaged on Vatoa, we can conclude that Ono-i-Lau bares most of the damage in shelter and agriculture.”
Briefly:
– Relief supplies distributed by Government included food rations and shelter materials. Humanitarian partners such as Red Cross provided other relief items such as tents, tarpaulins, hygiene kits, and dignity kits;
– The Department of Social Welfare together with Empower Pacific conducted psychological first aid and provided psycho-social support in various villages;
– The Ministry of Education assessed school structures and replaced damaged water tanks;
– Given salt-water intrusion into the current water supply and damage of water pumping systems in Ono-i-Lau, the Water Authority of Fiji and Government Shipping Services discharged 120,000 litres of fresh water to tanks located in schools and village centres;
– As a precaution, a public health team from the Ministry of Health conducted mosquito spraying to reduce risks to diseases while a team of dieticians visited families with advice on nutrition; and
– To address food security, the Ministry of Agriculture accompanied food rations with seedlings and deployed officers to assist families with planting.
