infonews.co.nz
INDEX
AID

Save the Children assessing children's needs in Fiji after flood

Tuesday 31 January 2012, 9:30AM

By Save The Children

506 views

Save the Children colleagues in Fiji are currently completing a post-flood assessment and working with schools to identify the number of children who are likely to need assistance to ensure they can return to school this week.

Last week, Fiji was battered by torrential rain that resulted in mass flooding and the evacuation of over 3,000 people from their homes. Six people were reported to have died as a result of landslides caused by the bad weather.
Save the Children anticipates that there will be a need for the provision of school stationery and other study materials to children of flood-affected families.

Education is often a great stabilising factor for children living in situations where the community is focused on recovering from a natural disaster said Save the Children New Zealand CEO Liz Gibbs.

“Our school supply kits will help reduce unnecessary costs for families and will also build the capacity of schools to identify disadvantaged children who may be at risk of missing out on their education as a result of losing their belongings in the floods,” Ms Gibbs said.

Last week, the Australian and New Zealand governments announced that they will provide up to F$1 million to assist the people of Fiji respond to the effects of last week’s flooding that caused extensive damage. The assistance was made immediately available to the Fiji Red Cross for the distribution of essential relief items to those most in need and to other agencies identified as best placed to meet immediate needs. The funding will enable the Fiji Red Cross and agencies to replenish pre-positioned emergency supplies like water purification tablets, blankets and tarpaulins and support the provision of much needed emergency supplies to affected communities.

More bad weather has been predicated for this week and Save the Children will continue to monitor the situation closely.