13 May 2004

300 Fiji families still homeless after April floods

3:42 pm on 13 May 2004

About 300 families whose homes were destroyed in Fiji's flash floods last month will have to keep waiting for a new house.

The head of the Red Cross says 295 families are still displaced and are living either in evacuation centres or with relatives.

Alison Cupit says they're still working alongside the government, which is still distributing food rations to displaced families.

But she says due to government protocol, the process of getting them back into their own home will take some time.

"They have to be checked and names given and how many the actual figures, whether there were three children or seven children. We take an average of four children but the actual statistics the government will have to us by Monday or Tuesday and we'll have meeting with government."

Alison Cupit says she hopes the government will be able to provide more permanent housing for flood victims, by August.