Press Release – Fiji Club Of New Zealand Read more »

Fiji floods earlier this month ... target of air assistance by French military in New Caledonia. Photo: Rotary Fiji

Pacific Scoop:
Analysis – By Graham Davis

The presence of a French military aircraft over western Fiji surveying the damage from the recent widespread flooding has again highlighted the close ties between France and the government of the Fijian dictator, Voreqe Bainimarama.

In stark contrast with Australia and New Zealand – which have shunned Fiji since Bainimarama’s coup in 2006 -  France has continued to engage with the regime and provide it with vital assistance.

The Fijian military especially values France’s willingness to give it an aerial reconnaissance and search and rescue capability it simply cannot afford. Read more »

Press Release – Heart Strings

Seven handcrafted guitars commemorating the loss of life and buildings in the Canterbury earthquakes will go on display at Te Papa Museum later this month. (Sunday 12 February 2012). Read more »

Rescuers on the Chinese ship Zhonghe pluck 29 survivors of the Rabaul Queen ferry disaster from the sea off Papua New Guinea. Photo: Mopays

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Starza Paul in Port Moresby

About 170 passengers have been rescued at Magarida, in Papua New Guinea’s Central Province, after bad weather forced a ferry to abandon its planned trip to Port Moresby following last week’s Rabaul Queen tragedy.

The ferry, Kimbe Queen,  also reported to be a sister ship of the Rabaul Queen that sank off Finschhafen last Thursday morning, was en route to Port Moresby from Alotau carrying mostly students when the skipper forced the ship to take refuge at Walai Island off Kupiano.

Captain Tommy Joseph was reported to have slowed the speed of the ship and avoided a “certain disaster” that would have seen two major shipping tragedies happening within a few hours of each other. Read more »

Press Release – IUCN

Suva, Fiji 2 February 2012 – While flooding in the western division of Fiji cannot be avoided or prevented, its impacts can be minimized if nature’s health is kept intact says IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature. ” Nature itself … Read more »

PNG prime Minister-elect Peter O’Neill pledges inquiry into the ferry tragedy. Video: Euronews

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Ellen  Tiamu in Port Moresby

Papua New Guinean officials have confirmed that 238 passengers have been rescued from waters off the coast of Finschhafen, Morobe, province, where the ferry Rabaul Queen sank early yesterday.

It is not known how many were missing from the 300-passenger coastal vessel which was Lae-bound from New Guinea Islands ports.

Search and rescue operations were abandoned when darkness fell last night but  resumed at first light today, Morobe acting provincial administrator Patillas Gamato said. Read more »

Rescuers have plucked more than 200 survivors from the sea off Papua New Guinea’s east coast after a ferry sank. Video: Sky News

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Lisa Pagelio in Port Moresby

Papua New Guinea’s National Maritime Safety Authority says scores of survivors of the sunken Rabaul Queen are being treated for fatigue after hours in rough seas.

They have been swimming or hanging onto life-rafts for hours before the first search and rescue team arrived after the ferry sank with more than 350 people on board yesterday.

Chief executive officer of the National Maritime Safety Authority, Captain Nurur Rahman says none of the survivors have suffered serious injuries. Read more »

Press Release – Fiji Club Of New Zealand

Fiji Club New Zealand (FCNZ) Bringing Communities Together © Thursday, February 2, 2012 “The Fijian communities in New Zealand, Fiji and internationally are vigorously rallying for public appeals as a result of the recent devastating flood in the Western … Read more »

Press Release – Save The Children

Save the Children colleagues in Fiji are currently completing a post-flood assessment and working with schools to identify the number of children who are likely to need assistance to ensure they can return to school this week. Last week, Fiji was battered … Read more »

Press Release – Rotary Club

Rotary Steps Up With Food and Supplies to Flood-Affected Families in Fiji In the past week, over a thousand people in areas devastated by floods in Nadi, Lautoka, and Ba have received assistance from Rotary Clubs in Fiji. 120 Emergency Response … Read more »