Highlights
Cyclone Winston struck Fiji in early 2016; it was the strongest cyclone to ever make land fall in the South Pacific, and affected more than half of the country. The impact of this cyclone, subsequent storms and in other countries, drought, continues to be felt directly by children through greatly reduced food availability, damages to water and sanitation systems, and damages to schools and health centres. UNICEF Pacific responded immediately with pre-positioned supplies in multiple locations, and technical assistance in all sectors, while simultaneously continuing a multi-country El Niño drought response elsewhere.
The Nutrition response for El Niño/La Niña remains underfunded with only 75% of its humanitarian funding needs met. This means that UNICEF would be unable to meet the needs of more than 6,000 children for micronutrients supplementation and of their caregivers for infant and young child feeding counselling.
The limited capacity and high expense to reach remote and inaccessible atolls and island communities with minimal external communication and only periodic resupply or outreach of government pose the biggest challenge to the humanitarian response.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
In 2015-2016, El Niño caused severe rainfall shortages in Fiji, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu. Recent rainfall has eased the situation in some places, but the well-being of rural Pacific families remains fragile. Diarrhoeal, respiratory and mosquito-borne disease incidence has increased, along with malnutrition. Fiji was also hit by two Cyclones.
Category 5 Winston affected 540,400 people (62% of the population). The worst affected families are those who endured drought, then Cyclone Winston and then Cyclone Zena. The Fijian Government placed the total cost of damages from TC Winston at US$1.4 billion (one third of annual GDP).