Red Cross volunteers are helping assess damage in Fiji from Cyclone Yasa and distributing emergency supplies.
Damage in the aftermath of Cyclone Yasa. Photo: Supplied/Save the Children
The category five storm brought gales gusting to speeds of 345km/h on the island of Vanua Levu and two people have died - a three-month-old baby and a 45-year-old man - and left thousands more homeless.
Nearly $140,000 worth of supplies will be handed out over the next month.
Fiji Red Cross operations manager Maciu Nokelvu said six teams of volunteers are in the worst affected areas, helping people in need.
"Providing them with non-food relief items which include tarpaulins for temporary shelters, dry foods and cooking utensils."
They are also assessing the full extent of the damage, which so far includes flattened homes, downed power lines and land stripped of vegetation.
Fiji's Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said his country is looking at hundred of millions of dollars in damages from Cyclone Yasa.
He said authorities were scrambling to help affected communities.
Fiji's National Disaster Management Office yesterday said in a statement that Cyclone Yasa affected more than 93,000 Fijians and the number of casualties may rise when communications are restored to some areas.
There are 23,430 Fijians in evacuation centres across the country, it said.
A curfew was in place overnight in Fiji.
The United Nations is ready to deploy staff on the ground, and airlift supplies from Brisbane, while New Zealand is sending aid along with an Air Force Orion to Fiji to asses the damage.
As always, @UN_Pasifika is here to support the @FijianGovt #CycloneYasa Response from Day 1. The Resident Coordinator joined a team of Govt. Ministers & 1st responders for a rapid aerial assessment of Vanua Levu,followed by on the ground briefings to take stock of immediate needs pic.twitter.com/P7CiWeuoII
— United Nations in the Pacific (@UN_Pasifika) December 18, 2020
The director of Fiji Social Services, Vani Catanagasiga, last night told Lately that the damage was extensive particularly in the northern division of Vanua Levu and it has been a tough year for Fiji.
"After three cyclones earlier this year, one was Tropical Cyclone Harold which was a category 4 cyclone and of course Covid-19, you know we're really just looking at how else we can work together as a country to recover from one of the toughest years that we've had here in Fiji.
"It's not going to be a bright Christmas for us, but we've been through worse."
RNZ / Reuters
