Highlights
• Some 120,000 people are estimated to need urgent humanitarian shelter assistance.
• Up to 90 per cent of structures destroyed in the hardest-hit areas.
• Over 54,700 people are still sheltering in evacuation centres.
• Of the 350,000 people affected by the cyclone, 87,500 are women of reproductive age.
Situation Overview
Humanitarian response coordination structures are functioning well, with the PHT Principals, as well as Cluster Coordinators meeting on 2 March to discuss operational issues and the way forward.
With 90 per cent of structures destroyed in the hardest-hit areas, and 42,000 tons of debris in Lomaiviti province alone, waste management and debris clearance is a priority in the early recovery efforts. Two experts are expected to arrive in the country early next week to assist the Government with detailed assessments and planning.
The Ministry of Health and Medical Services, National Disaster Management Office (NDMO), UNICEF and WHO issued a joint statement for partners involved in infant and young child feeding interventions. The statement provides context-specific guidance and urges donors and responders to avoid using breast-milk substitutes. The statement can be accessed here.