Fiji Floods: Situation Report by the United Nations

Highlights

• The official death toll of the floods stands at 11, with one 18 year old girl still missing following a landslide.

• The number of evacuees is decreasing as people are starting to move back into their houses and start clean up. Still, 8,475 people, mainly in the West, are in evacuation centres as of this afternoon.

• In the whole of Ba and parts of Sigatoka water supply remains an issue of concern, as well as food supply where the majority of staple crops have been destroyed by the floods.

• Food safety and disease outbreaks including dengue, typhoid, leptospirosis and diarrheal diseases are considered a main risk.

• Divisional teams and Fiji Red Cross continue to assist the most affected people.

• International partners have, based on the list of requirements, assisted the Fiji interim government based on last week’s request for water, sanitation and hygiene items (tanks, containers, water purification tablets, ORS), technical assessments and funding for logistics support.

Situation Overview

As a result of the flooding, as of this afternoon a total of 8,475 evacuees are residing in 130 evacuation centres, mostly in the Western Division. People are moving back to their houses for clean up and repair, although especially in Western Division the number of evacuees is still high, due to damage to water and food supply.

The official death toll of the floods stands at 11, of which 6 are children. Seven people drowned, three were buried in a landslide and one already sick person developed complications while at an evacuation center. One 18 year old girl remains missing following a landslide.

Flooding has receded from the affected areas and people are returning to their homes. However, it seems that due to shortages of water and food evacuees in the West have largely remained in the shelters. NDMO reports that power and water supply have been restored to most affected areas, except in Ba and parts of Sigatoka. Water supply to hospitals and health clinics remains a priority. International partners have provided support to address the immediate needs that were identified by the government of water, sanitation and hygiene, technical assessments and logistics support.

Humanitarian Response

Water & Sanitation
NDMO reports that power and water supply have been restored to most affected areas, except in Ba and eastern parts of Sigatoka town. In Ba town (population around around 19,000) water supply is likely to be under repair for the next 2-3 weeks and water is to be trucked in from Lautoka. However, supply has been limited over the weekend. In the Central Division water supply has also been restored in most areas and water trucking is in progress in the Rewa areas. Provision of water to hospitals remains a top priority in affected areas.

UNICEF has provided water and sanitation items including fifteen 1,500L water tanks and 5,080 10L water containers, 175,000 water purification tablets and 30,000 Oral Rehydration Salt (ORS) to the NDMO for distribution. The Fiji Red Cross has in total trucked 15,600 litres of bottled water to the most affected people in Nadi and Ba.

AusAID intends to fund hygiene kits, stocks of water purification tables, ORS and small water containers, emergency public information campaigns to prevent disease outbreaks and logistics for distributions through the Ministry of Health, Fiji Red Cross and UNICEF.

Health
The Ministry of Health Disaster Management Committee (MOH DISMAC) and (international) partners are coordinating health efforts closely. Due to the flooding, food safety and disease outbreaks including dengue typhoid and diarrheal diseases are considered a main risk. Health centres have been affected by flooding in the central and western division, while hospitals are operating on skeletal staff. Provision of water to the Ba and Sigatoka hospitals remains a top priority in affected areas. Most of the health centres have experienced flooding, while overcrowding is a concern at an evacuation centre in Tavua with 700 people in it.

Closely working with MOH, WHO has provided technical advice on the prevention and detection of flood-related disease outbreaks. In addition, rapid dipstick tests for diagnosis of dengue and vector control supplies are available at WHO Pacific stockpile to prevent dengue. WHO is also working to provide laboratory reagents for the diagnosis of typhoid fever, dengue, and leptospirosis. This will make it possible to detect these flood-related dangerous diseases.

WHO and the National Centre for Health Promotion (NCHP) have developed proper guidance notes and health promotion materials in English, Fijian and Hindi.
UNFPA is providing assistance to the MOH with Reproductive Health kits for each division. The kits are for use by health personnel and include equipment and medicines. In addition dignity packs are being put together and will be distributed to girls and the women in the evacuation centres, through DISMAC teams.

As part of its relief assistance, AusAID, through MOH, UNICEF and Fiji Red Cross, will provide support to the health sector to help to minimize the sanitation risks posed by the flooding through providing water purification tablets, oral rehydration salts (ORS), soap and antibiotics. AusAID intends to provide assistance to the Fiji Red Cross with funds to distribute first aid kits to all official evacuation centres and other shelters. Red Cross emergency Response Teams have also provided first aid and psychosocial support.

Food and Nutrition
Food ration distribution was started in Central and Western divisions facilitated by the local authorities, Fiji Red Cross and military personnel. In the Northern division food rations were delivered to the evacuation centres. Government is planning a one-month food ration distribution.

Food inspection and food condemnation are underway by health officers. Public scavenging of condemned food for dump sites has proved to be a problem. Burial of spoiled foodstuffs and police cordons of disposal sites are among measures implemented.

Shelter
As of this afternoon a total of 8,475 evacuees residing in 130 evacuation centres, mostly in the Western Division. 6,920 people are sheltering in 103 evacuation centres in the Western Division, 1,528 people are sheltering in 25 evacuation centres in the Central Division, and 27 people are sheltering in 2 evacuation centres in the Northern Division. Food items are provided by the government while non-food items are provided by Fiji Red Cross Society. Rotary clubs and church organizations are providing basic living items. Local private companies also provide material support to evacuees. The Fiji Red Cross has reached over 3,500 of the most affected people living in Nadi, Ba, Lautoka, Tavua, Rakiraki, Wainibuka, Rewa and Sigatoka. Today the Fiji Red Cross assisted families in the Sigatoka Valley and Tavua.

Coordination for evacuation centers
Military personnel were deployed to evacuation centres which have large number of evacuees to coordinate the site management. The government has requested evacuees residing in schools to try to vacate the premises in the course of this week to allow schools to start the new year on 26 January.

Protection
The military have been deployed to help village leaders manage evacuation centres and police have been deployed to provide security within the centres.

Several media have reported the alleged rape of a victim in form three who was sheltering in the Vunidawa evacuation centre. The articles also reported conflict over food rations in the same evacuation centre.

Logistics
The NDMO reported on Sunday 18 January that in Western Division approximately 30% of the rural roads are open, with the department for national roads working extensively to repair the roads. The major roads are accessible but users are advised to exercise caution. Various landslides have been reported in the Nadi, Lautoka, Sigatoka, Tavua, Ba, Ra and Navosa with the Ministry of Works informed. In the Central Division the Kings Road is now open to all traffic including roads to Rewa area. In Northern Division major roads are open to traffic but closed in some parts which are still damaged. There have also been reports of landslides along the Nabouwalu roads.

The same sitrep reports that power has been restored in all major areas except for Tailevu and Naitasiri in the central division. A UN assessment team found that some rural villages in the Ba region did not have electricity on Sunday 18 December.

Telecoms
No new information to report.

Early Recovery
A joint UN-assessment team working in the Ba region on Sunday 18 January received widespread reports from villagers and those sheltering in evacuation centres of damage to cassava and bele crops. Reports were also received of a possible shortage of toppings needed for replanting. A significant food shortage can be anticipated in the coming months and expected to commence in about one weeks time. The team also received a number of reports claiming that the flooding would kill standing sugar cane, which would likely have a significant effect on the local Ba economy.

SOPAC will undertake a technical flood assessment for two weeks, commencing from today. The team will undertake a baseline survey of hydro-meteorological boundary conditions and impacts to buildings and structures in the worst affected areas with the aim to provide input into future flood risk assessments and guide development of disaster risk reduction measures.
A number of other agencies have offered their support for technical assessments including UNDP that has secured USD 100,000 to fund an assessment of the agricultural sector, the socio-economic impact of the flooding, and a transitional recovery framework.

Education
The Interim Minister of Education has confirmed that the beginning of the school year has been pushed back to the 26th January. Save the Children Fiji are currently conducting needs assessments in the Central, Western and Northern divisions of Fiji. At the same time, Save the Children Teams in Central Division are distributing donated goods and clothes. Information gathered shows there is high demand for educational needs such as stationary, followed by the need for school fees, bus fares and food. Save the Children notes that most families especially in the Wainibuka area (Central Division) are without a source of income, which will take a long time to recover.

The NDMO reports that the following schools in Western Division suffered significant flooding: the Nadi Muslim Primary School, Nadi Muslim College, Rt Navula College, Nadi Dist School, Nadi Primary, Nadi Sagam Primary, Nadi Sagam College, Ralete Primary, Drasa Secondary, Drasa primary, Ba Muslim Primary, Votua Catholic School.

Funding
The following pledges have been made or are reported in the media:

• The New Zealand Government donated NZ$100,000 and has pledged a further NZ$ 500,000.

• The Australian Government has pledged a contribution of A$1 million for emergency flood assistance and A$2 million for longer term recovery and reconstruction, on top of the earlier donated A$ 150,000.

• Papua New Guinea has pledged more than USD 500,000 in flood relief assistance

• The Government of France has donated FJ$ 50,000

• The People’s Republic of China has donated FJ$ 50,000

• The Red Cross Society of China donated FJ$ 30,000 to the Fiji Red Cross Society

• Tonga has donated FJ$ 100,000

• The Embassy of the United States has provided approximately FJ$ 89,000 for immediate assistance in flood relief work by NGOs

• The United Kingdom has donated FJ$ 26,000

• Korea has donated FJ$ 50,000

• UNDP has allocated USD 100,000 for early recovery

• New Caledonia has pledged USD 115,000

• Samoa has pledged FJ$10,000

• Colonial National Bank has donated FJ$ 5,000 to Save the Children Fiji

• Post Fiji has offered school stationary worth FJ$ 5,000 to Save the Children Fiji

As per 18 January, government’s joint damage assessments show a total of FJD 35,4 million for all divisions, FEA and Health, excluding agricultural damage assessment in Western Division.

Cross Cluster/Sector issues
Specific needs of different age and gender groups should to be assessed and reflected into response especially when evacuation situation prolongs. But at this stage, gender and age disaggregated data and information is limited.

Coordination
• Ministry of Health and Ministry of Public Works have activated their Disaster Management Committee to coordinate sector specific response, in close cooperation with partners

• NDMO and OCHA will host a coordination meeting on 20 January to coordinate the international response and discuss further assessments, needs and requirements.

Needs and Gaps
Agricultural and nutritional assessments are needed to determine the short, medium and long term food security for the right number of affected people.

Humanitarian Analysis
Safe water supply remains an issue of concern, as well as food supply where the majority of staple crops and/or livelihoods have been destroyed by the floods. Disease outbreaks including dengue, typhoid, leptospirosis and diarrheal diseases are considered a main risk.

Contact:
This situation report has been issued by OCHA Pacific with inputs from various partners. For further information, please contact

OCHA New York
Ms. Aditee Maskey
Tel: +1-212-963-0910

OCHA ROAP Bangkok
Mr. Markus Werne
Tel: +66-81-917 8940

OCHA Pacific
Peter Muller
Tel: +679-9991664