Highlights
Government priorities for immediate relief are shelter, water, health and food, as well as restoration of schools and delivery of seeds.
Access to fresh water remains a particular concern. Most of the 67,000 Fijians who had been targeted with water deliveries by end of January due to the El Niño-related drought, live in the corridor most affected by the cyclone.
40,000 affected people (53% male, 46% female) live on small islands, largely in the Eastern Division, where damage is extensive and access is limited.
The percentage of destroyed schools in the Eastern Division is 4 times that in the rest of the country, indicating the scale of damage.
While many schools have begun to reopen, total damage to schools is estimated at FJ$41,691,174 for all 4 districts affecting 60,239 total students.
The Government is supporting an international campaign to encourage tourists to return to parts of the country not affected by the cyclone.
Situation Overview
Access to fresh water remains a serious concern. Most of the 67,000 Fijians who had been targeted with water deliveries by end of January due to the El Niño-related drought, live in the corridor most affected by the cyclone.
Relief supplies, including food rations, are being distributed as teams assess needs and priorities across the country. Intermittent essential services, as well as poor road access and communications difficulties, remain a constraint for both assessments and the delivery of relief. However, as roads are being progressively cleared, assessments are increasing. UNDAC teams conducted field observations on the eastern side of Viti Levu along the coastal road and into the centre of the island. Damages were more intensive inland, with some villages having more than 80% damages to houses.
Of the people affected by the storm, nearly 40,000 are on smaller islands (outside of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu) particularly those that suffered catastrophic damage. The number of schools destroyed in the Eastern Division is nearly 4 times the average of all affected areas. Access remains extremely constrained.