Emergency Relief for Fiji After Cyclone Winston

Bula Vinaka!

Firstly, we would like to thank everyone who has been in touch with messages of support over the past week. We have been trying hard to pass on as many of these messages to the effected communities as possible.

We would also like to say a huge Vinaka Vaka Levu to all those people who have donated to our fundraising pages. Hopefully, the following update with help give you all an idea of how the funds are being used so far.

BABALE BASE UPDATE

- We visited Silana, Naisinu and Lolomolevu for the first time since the cyclone on Wednesday last week. The level of destruction caused by TC Winston was distressing to see with the majority of house being completely destroyed in the coastal villages of Dawasamu. We were also told many stories by community members about the terror they faced as the cyclone took hold of the district.

- The staff team have been working with the village and district nurses to provide first aid to those injured by debris. GVI have purchased basic first aid supplies with donations and have been helping to clean and dress wounds to try and fight off infection

- A huge priority for the team at the moment is to promote safe WASH practice to help prevent the risk of illness and disease. GVI have been working with community members to improve water security by helping to purify water and reconnect Rainwater tanks. We’ve also been working with the children to promote the importance of hand washing.

- Building shelter is also a huge priority for the community and GVI have used donations to purchase tarpaulins, safety boots, gloves, shovels, masks, hammers, tin snips and rakes to assist in the mammoth clean up and construction of temporary housing

- Sadly our beautiful base has been almost entirely washed away by Winston. So for now the team are travelling from Suva every other day to assist the communities however we can. As soon as we can arrange alternative accommodation we will resume a full time presence in Dawasamu District.

CAQALAI BASE UPDATE

- After spending a week in Suva the Marine team travelled back to Caqalai yesterday to start clearing up and repairing the damage to the island. We were very lucky to only experience superficial damage to the base. Building materials and food supplies have been purchased by GVI for the Caqalai community and are on the way to the island today

- Once we are up and running the team will start assessing how we can provide support to nearby communities affected by the cyclone. We hope to be able to provide our many sets of hands to assist in clearing up and basic first aid on the ground

- Our dive team will also be focusing on assessing the damage to the reef systems around Caqalai and Moturiki as this will likely impact on food security

- Current assessment reports suggest that the schools on Moturiki did not experience significant damage so we are hoping to resume our presence in the 2 primary schools as soon as possible

SUVA UPDATE

- Back in Suva the team have been working hard to try and coordinate our assistance with the many Government agencies and NGO’s who are responding to this crisis. We’ve been attending regular coordination meetings and identifying opportunities where we can use the long term relationships we have with our nearby communities to make a difference in the relief effort

Thank you all once again for your support! We will continue to provide updates as often as possible during this busy time. 

TC Winston has caused devastation in Fiji and we are doing everything we possibly can to help

Vinaka vaka levu

From the GVI Fiji team

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