Transcript
SHELDON YETT: Supplies have reached the most affected villages, communities are involved in making sure that schools are being rebuilt, that kids are going back into the classroom. But it takes time, and I think it's important to remember that the supplies are there and children are back in school. The psychological scars that exist remian.
INDIRA STEWART: There was a lot of major damage to the infrastructure and schools and health centres, like you say, what's being done in those areas now that the children are back in school?
SY: Well, the most important thing is to ensure that children have a school to go back to, so in those places where schools were destroyed UNICEf has provided temporary schools, provided specially constructed tents that service schools until the actual physical reconstruction is completed. We're also working with schools to make sure that teachers are shared, to make sure that all schools have the supplies that they require and to make sure that staff and students feel safe going back to school after such a traumatic event.
IS: how long do you think the aid assistance, that yourself, your aid organisation and the WHO are providing, how long do you think that assistance will be needed in terms of when the infrastructure will be repaired or restored?
SY: Well, of course, needs in the Solomon Islands and Makira province in particular, were great even before the earthquake, they will require our support and partnership for quite some time. The immediate response will be limited but the long term response will be great if only to make sure that schools are there and that children are leaning the skills they need to learn. That health centres are functioning, that mothers are being vaccinated, that vaccines are in place, that mothers and children know what to do to stay safe and to keep safe and that's a kind of ongoing development for that is crucial and will be in place for many, many years.
IS: Do you think this might be a great opportunity to perhaps improve areas like health and infrastructure and other services?
SY: You know, I think with events like this there is always and opportunity to look backwards and see what we could have done better, what the actual needs are. Yes, it is an opportunity to make sure that schools are built back better and stronger and health centres have running water and facilities that can be depended on when disaster strikes. But infrastructure itself is only part of the problem. Long term needs are, of course, the people - making sure you have talented staff and dedicated staff willing to go to these very remote villages and being willing to serve those communities and that takes time and that takes training.
That was UNICEF's Pacific representative Sheldon Yetts.
