The Peresia family of Satitoa thank government and aid donors for the supplies they have been receiving. The family now lives some 6km inland under a tent. Photo: Savali

Pacific.Scoop
By Tupuola Terry Tavita in Apia

The Samoan government has responded to recent claims by MP Palusalue Faapo II that tsunami recovery work favours the constituencies of the Prime Minister and of Agricultural Minister Taua Kitiona Seuala.

“Such claims can only come from a person with a bitter heart,” said Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi.

“I really don’t need to answer that. Go to the villages and find out for yourself. There is parity in the recovery work in all of the affected villages.”

Palusalue’s claims were echoed this week by Porirua deputy mayor Litea Ah Hoi who said she “saw infrastructure being repaired in the villages of government ministers ahead of other areas”.

Ah Hoi was in Samoa three weeks ago and her claims bewilder the Prime Minister.

“How can that be so when government housing aid has yet to start?” he asked.

“If people are rebuilding their homes then most probably they are paying for it themselves or their families from overseas are helping them rebuild.”

The Prime Minister said getting people settled in at all affected areas was the government’s priority.

Carpenters begin
Carpenters from Habitat New Zealand arrived this week and have immediately started assembling prefab houses under the government and its reconstruction partners’ (WST)$18,000-per-family housing aid.

Some 600 houses will be built in the coming months.

“There will be equal distribution of these prefab houses to all affected villages as we go along.”

And it’s not just Aleipata and Falealili which have been getting aid, the Prime Minister said.

So did Siumu, Safata, Manono and parts of Savaii that were all affected by the tsunami.

“In fact, 83 families in eight villages at Palusalue’s constituency of Safata have been getting regular tsunami aid from government.”

Coastal houses?
Asked if the government would build houses on the coast, Works Minister Tuisugaletaua said that that was not government’s preference.

‘We’ve already relayed to the affected villages that we prefer to build the houses in the hills away from the sea. And most have agreed. It’s safer up there.”

Like the Prime Minister, Tuisugaletaua said that he “does not know where Palusalue comes up with these stories”.

“It’s politics and we have more pressing matters to attend to at the moment than playing those silly little political games.”

Tuisugaletaua said work had begun on developing road infrastructure, electrification and water reticulation at the Aleipata and Falealili uplands where most people have moved to.

“It’s a huge undertaking and we’re talking here not in tens of thousands but tens of millions of tala in costs.”

Lake Lanoto'o ... a similar lake at Saleapaga called Lake Le Loto is being planned to provide water to hill communities at Aleipata. Photo: Savali

Lake Le Loto
A major concern was finding a water source for the hills.

“Because obviously it is very expensive to pump water to the uplands. In some areas it’s a very steep climb.”

But a solution had been found after an aerial survey of the area a fortnight ago.

“We identified Lake Le Loto – one of several small lakes in the uplands of Saleapaga and Lepa – as the best to source water from.

“According to initial surveys by our engineers, there’s enough water there to sustainably provide running water for up to 6000 households. That’s more than enough water for the Aleipata area.

“Two engineers from New Zealand will arrive this Thursday to draw up plans with work to commence immediately.”

One of the major problems facing aid delivery to the hills, he said, is the condition of roads.

“These are plantation dirt tracks that have severely eroded due to heavy traffic and the rains. It’s getting very hard for the water trucks to get up there.”

The Works Ministry was now now sending asphalt loads to improve these dirt tracks, he said.

“We need to improve those roads, especially when we start distributing the prefab houses to the hills.”

Major road construction is already in the pipeline for the now-established hill communities, he said.

Saturday aid
The Prime Minister said that food aid from overseas was now on the decline.

“Which is to be expected as its now five weeks since the tsunami struck.”
While houses were swept away, farms and plantations were largely unaffected, he said.

“So there is no reason why people should go hungry. Those who have plantations need not worry about food supply. Those without, well, time to get moving.”

Food assistance would now only be distributed at affected villages on Saturdays, he said.

“So villages are asked to assemble at their distribution points on Saturdays to get their food supplies.”

He added: “Besides, it’s also time for public servants who have been on the recovery frontline for a marathon five weeks to get some rest and do other government work.”

The National Disaster Council in its latest meeting, chaired by the Prime Minister, agreed to extend food distribution to the affected areas by another 30 days.

Tupuola Terry Tavita is editor of the Samoan government newspaper Savali.