Pacific Islands Forum Chair Offers Coordinated Regional Assistance to Fiji Following Tropical Cyclone Winston Featured
Fijian family lost their home
26 February, 2016. Papua New Guinea Prime Minister and Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum, Peter O'Neill, has written to the Prime Minister of Fiji, Voreqe Bainimarama, offering coordinated regional assistance and support following the devastation of Tropical Cyclone Winston.
"The increased frequency and destructiveness of natural hazards in our region highlight our vulnerability,” reads the letter. “I understand that this is a time for urgent action by your Government and I look forward to speaking to you soon and learning more about the situation on the ground and what specific measures we might be able to undertake to help.”
Pacific Islands Forum Foreign Ministers, at their meeting in Sydney last year, agreed on the need for the continued and enhanced collaboration on future disaster management responses including strengthened intra-regional capacity to support national response efforts, and greater exchange of information between countries to support the provision of supplies. As a result the Forum Chair has written also to Forum Leaders proposing the possibility of a regional response should the Fijian Government request it.
In March last year, Forum island countries responded to Vanuatu’s needs, offering support within their capacity, following the category 5 Tropical Cyclone Pam. Fiji provided military and medical support, New Zealand provided patrol boats, and Tonga sent taro, while Australia, Nauru, PNG, Samoa and Solomon Islands gave financial assistance.
Reiterating the regional support for Fiji, the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and Chair of the Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific (CROP), Dame Meg Taylor, has also written to the Prime Minister of Fiji offering the full support of the CROP agencies for the recovery effort.
“I wish to assure you that we stand ready to coordinate any assistance you should require, which could include provision of scientific and technical support for disaster response teams, work to mobilise additional funds and modalities required to support national recovery efforts, and participate in on-ground assessment of the damage and exploring lessons from aid coordination efforts,” says the letter.
“We understand that the current emergency response is vital to saving lives and responding to basic needs of the affected communities but in the coming weeks and months we hope that we can support early recovery and reconstruction efforts to improve the resilience of your country.”
PIFS
