Fiji

FIJI Post-Disaster Needs Assessment
Different social groups have been affected in distinct ways by TC Winston. Housing serves different functions for different
household members. For example, due to their role in reproductive work and lack of access to jobs in the formal economy,
women often derive income in their homes. Men, on the other hand, use homes for resting and recuperating, and their
economic activities tend to not be home based. For example in Ra and Tailevu (Western and Central Divisions respectively),
most women were engaged in mat and basket weaving at home 94 before the cyclone; however, since the cyclone,
their economic activities have come to a halt due to the destruction of houses, kitchens, raw materials and equipment.
Destruction of homes could, therefore, have more far-reaching consequences for women than men. Homes are places for
nurturing and security for children, and loss of housing is likely to compound the traumatic experience of having endured
a Category 5 cyclone (as noted in Chapter 3.2.2 of this PDNA, which considers the effects of TC Winston on the health
sector). Housing also offers shelter and security for women and young girls from potential violence. While most families
have returned home and are no longer in emergency shelters, many are still seeking shelter with relatives and friends while
waiting to rebuild their homes. Therefore, the lack of access to privacy, and cramped living arrangements with extended
family and friends, can lead to increased vulnerability for exploitation and put women and girls at a heightened risk of sexual
and physical violence.
Such risks are also high for households headed by women who are still living in transitional shelters. Female-headed
households make up about 12 percent of all Fijian households. Assuming that approximately 12 percent (or 3,529) of total
houses destroyed belong to female-headed households, such households would incur total damage and losses in excess
of F$93 million. While female-headed households are usually economically better off than male-headed households, 95
statistics show that female-headed households, where the head is divorced or has never married, have a 71 percent
higher poverty rate, making them susceptible to severe disaster impacts, livelihoods stress and poverty. 96 Homes headed
by single women are, therefore, more likely to be poorly constructed and maintained and, accordingly, to have sustained
extensive damage from TC Winston. Furthermore, households belonging to widows, the elderly, PLWD and single women
may also struggle to rebuild their homes due to a lack of physical strength and/or resources to rebuild quickly.
Home reconstruction programmes should prioritize the most vulnerable households to ensure they have access to resources
to build their homes. The Help for Homes initiative should ensure that the targeting and verification of beneficiaries reaches
the most vulnerable households. The appropriate share of the allocated F$70 million should reach all households that
earn less than F$50,000 a year, including single women, divorced women and widows, PLWD and the elderly, as these
groups are often among the poorest. The data used by the PBS managed by the Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty
Alleviation could be a starting point in identifying the poorest households. Both women and men must also participate and
benefit from home reconstruction programmes. As such, training women in masonry skills to support home construction
could also assist women, who are underrepresented in the labour force, augment their livelihoods.
Recovery and Reconstruction Needs for the Housing Sector (F$857 million)
Early recovery of Fiji’s housing sector began through the efforts of private households assisted by government agencies,
the private sector, NGOs and other donors within a week after the cyclone. This included clearing debris in the villages and
salvaging materials for housing and other building repairs.
The government established a dedicated CIU in the Ministry of Finance’s SPO to coordinate the preparation of a recovery
strategy in the housing and other sectors. The CIU has received a wealth of voluntary support from Fiji’s private sector,
notably from members of the FIE and from NGOs through the Shelter Cluster, providing detailed technical costing and
recommendations for the future.
On April 9, 2016, H.E. Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama announced the Help for Homes initiative, which is at the core of
the housing reconstruction strategy; an initial amount of F$70 million from the government’s 2016 budget was announced
at the strategy’s launch. The Help for Homes reconstruction strategy recognizes that households are responsible for
rebuilding and repairing their own homes. However, in order to ‘jump start’ private households’ resources, the government
will provide a construction materials grant to every affected household earning less than F$50,000 97 according to the level
of damage. Three grant amounts will be offered as shown in Table 48.
94
Based on interviews conducted by the Department of Social Protection, ILO, UN Women and UNDP on 13 April 2016.
95
This is largely due to the fact that most female-headed households are supported by migrant spouses who sent remittances.
96
Fiji Bureau of Statistic 2011: Republic of Fiji Poverty Trends, Profiles and Small Area Estimation (poverty maps) in Republic of Fiji (2003-
2009).
97
According to the limited available income information (HIES 2008/2009), the average annual income was F$23,000 for urban households
and F$11,068 for rural households. Therefore, almost all affected households are expected to be eligible to receive a materials grant.
76 Tropical Cyclone Winston, February 20, 2016