CSOS Get Australian Assistance for Cyclone Evan Aid

CSOS Get Australian Assistance for Cyclone Evan Community Rehabilitation Work

Suva, Fiji, 27 December 2012 – Families and communities around Fiji had Christmas cheer delivered to them in various forms this week when AusAID, through its Fiji Community Development Program (FCDP), provided over F$600,000 in grants and financial assistance to communities affected by Tropical Cyclone Evan.

The AusAID funding was channeled through Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) such as Save the Children, Saraswati Development Unit, Northern Charity Alliance, Sevashram Sangha, Foundation for Rural Integrated Enterprises and Development (FRIEND), Empower Pacific, Peoples Community Network and Rotary. Partnership agreements were signed with the FCDP on Christmas Eve and AusAID began delivering assistance through these CSOs to families and communities around the country from Christmas Day.

The Australian funding covers humanitarian assistance such as emergency food packs in the Western Division, the installation of water tanks and sanitation facilities in remote islands in Vanua Levu, grocery packs, trauma counseling in evacuation centres, and the provision of transitional shelter and building materials for those left homeless by the cyclone.

“Our team was very ready to support the homes without roofs just in case it rained. We are very grateful that our team was willing to sacrifice their Christmas and even more grateful to AusAID and its team for coming out to assess the damage and making the grant happen,” said FRIEND Founder and Director, Sashi Kiran.

“With the contract signed on Christmas Eve, the first lot of roofing tins and irons were delivered to over 25 families from Natalau in Nadi to Raviravi in Ba on Christmas Day. Vinaka Vakalevu AusAID!” Ms Kiran said.

AusAID’s First Secretary, Development Co-operation, Timothy Gill said: “When we saw with our own eyes the scale of the disaster and the number of people who would spend Christmas with no proper shelter or food, we knew we had to act quickly to get our assistance out. We would like to thank all of the committed community organisations who worked so efficiently over the holiday period to get the assistance out to families and communities so quickly.”

FCDP began operating in Fiji in June 2012 and was launched in Suva in October. The program, which also has field offices in Lautoka and Labasa, enables the Australian government to fund services to vulnerable and poor communities across Fiji.

ENDS

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