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OCHA Situation Report
In addition, UNDP, as the Early Recovery Network lead agency stand ready to provide continued
coordination services and support to the short and long term rehabilitation efforts of the Government of Fiji.
Gaps & Constraints: Following the Rakiraki pilot, UNDP and other early recovery partners aim to upscale
and expand the cash-for-work to benefit other affected areas in the Western Division. There are initial
indications that donors are interested in providing additional financial support to expand the programme to a
second location, likely to be in the Nadi area.
Education
Cluster Lead: United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
Needs: All schools have resumed classes. A joint assessment of 141 schools in affected areas was
completed by mid- April and the Education Sector Flood Damage Assessment Report was released by the
Ministry of Education (MoE).The Education Cluster has identified the following priority areas: (i) The
provision of student stationery kits; (ii) The provision School Kits (teaching and learning materials); (iii)
School infrastructure rehabilitation; (iv) The implementation of school feeding activities; (v) The provision of
funds for school levies for primary and secondary school students; and (vi) The provision of psycho-social
support to teachers and students.
Response: The Education Cluster partners, including AusAID (through their Access to Quality Education
Programme), UNICEF, Save the Children, Post Fiji and the Fiji National University (FNU) have been able to
distribute student stationery packs to 4,500 students and an additional 1,800 packs will be distributed in the
coming weeks. A total of 6,415 students have been identified in need of daily lunches and currently more
than 2,200 students are receiving school lunches. A further 1,400 students will begin receiving school
lunches in the next week. Support is also being provided to compensate schools for student school levies.
This fund is used by schools to ensure that all students have to opportunity to attend classes. In addition,
The MoE has requested support for the provision of 180 School Kits which will cover teaching materials for
over 1,000 teachers across primary, secondary and early childhood education centres.
Gaps & Constraints: The MoE is currently looking for funds to address the impact of the floods. They are
hopeful to secure funds for the school infrastructure damages (FJ$918,232), but there is a need to cover the
costs of uniforms and sandals for more than 5,500 students (estimated cost FJ$295,163). In addition, there
is a need for school levy support to 6,292 students (estimated cost FJ$1,050,415). Further discussion with
the Protection Cluster is needed to identify a strategy to provide psycho-social support to teachers and
students.
Emergency Shelter
Cluster Convenor: International Federation of the
Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
The Government has released a list of houses that need to be reconstructed. At present, this list comprises
of 43 houses. The New Zealand Aid Programme (NZAID) is awaiting final confirmation on numbers before it
considers funding options for the reconstruction of these houses. Habitat for Humanity Fiji (HfHF) is in the
process of preparing a proposal for this reconstruction. Shelter assessments of houses in illegal settlements
are on-going. AusAID is working with implementing agencies to assist illegal squatters with housing repairs.
Food Security / Agriculture
Cluster Lead: Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)
Needs: Emergency food rations (2-weeks) were distributed amongst the affected population across the
Western Division in late April. However, according to the National Food and Nutrition Centre (NFNC),
preliminary food security assessment findings indicate that vulnerable groups are still facing food security
problems as a result of the flooding. Assistance may therefore be required in the form of food rations or
conditional cash assistance in the near future.
Following the initial agriculture damage assessment the Department of Agriculture (DoA) highlighted the
following remaining needs: 1) drainage infrastructure, 2) distribution of seedlings (for commercial farmers),
3) distribution of seedlings for food security (assistance to subsistence farmers and home gardens), 4)
distribution of veterinary drugs, 5) river dredging and infrastructure development, 6) land development to
help famers to rehabilitate their affected land, 7) agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and other equipment,
8) livestock farm infrastructure. An assessment of further needs in the livestock sector following the initial
response and recovery activities may be required.
Response: During the relief phase, DoA facilitated and encouraged transport of food produce from other
parts of Fiji to markets in the Western Division. DoA has subsequently supplied more than 13,000 seedlings
from the stocks in the research centres to farmers who had prepared their fields in advance. DOA partner,
the Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM), has supplied 80,000 seedlings to affected famers, particularly in the
Sigatoka Valley.
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The mission of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is to mobilize and coordinate effective
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and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors.