Cyclone rebuild an ongoing challenge in the Pacific

Halfway through the 2020-21 tropical cyclone season in the Pacific, Fiji has already faced three major storms, each of them hampering ongoing efforts to rebuild.

In December 2020, Category 5 Tropical Cyclone Yasa hit, followed soon after by Tropical Cyclone Ana, a Category 2 storm. Both brought severe flooding and widespread damage to critical infrastructure, buildings and crops, closing schools and displacing more than 10,000 people.

The Fiji Red Cross has been working to support affected families, many of whom are still dealing with the severe impact of Category 5 Tropical Cyclone Harold, which hit in April 2020.

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While the world was struggling to understand and contain the emerging Covid-19 virus, Tropical Cyclone Harold ripped through the Pacific, with average winds of up to 195km/hr and gusts up to 275km/hr, severely affecting communities in Fiji, Vanuatu and Tonga.

With borders closed and social distancing measures in place, in parts of Fiji many people had limited access to immediate support. Families moved into evacuation centres and bunkered down to survive the worst.

ANZ donated $500,000 to a number of charities across the Pacific, including the Red Cross, to assist their efforts to help communities isolated by Covid-19 and affected by the cyclone.

Following Tropical Cyclone Yasa, ANZ Fiji donated a further FJ$30,000 to local Fijian organisations.

To see the impact of these storms and efforts to rebuild, ANZ sent a camera operator to the small island of Vatulele, 32 kilometres south of Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island.  He spoke to many islanders who described cyclone Harold as one of the worst ever to hit Vatulele.

Taunovo Village Headman, Paula Kautamaiwai, said his community was already experiencing food and income shortages due to the Covid-19 lockdown before Tropical Cyclone Harold hit.  

The cyclone not only ripped through the community, it severely affected the island's main source of income, the tapa plant.

Rebuilding has been challenging, but Paula describes the community’s approach as a journey back to independence.

“The villagers were thankful of the assistance from the Red-Cross in providing tarpaulins, cooking utensils and water,” he says.

“Now we are working together as a community cleaning family ‘masi’ plant plots, working on one plot at a time, to prepare for the future so that we are not dependent on donations and assistance coming in from outside."

"These donations will add to what we are able to build up as a community with our own initiatives.”

The funds donated went towards water filtration systems, water collapsible water containers, shelter toolkits, solar streetlights, community messaging systems and the recruitment of volunteers.

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