Press Release – NZ Red Cross

10 April 2012 Red Cross Is Making A Call On Early Warning, Early Action For Disasters Thirty four per cent of the world’s natural disasters occurred in the Asia Pacific region in 2011 including the Christchurch earthquakes, the worst floods in living … Read more »

Press Release – New Zealand Government

Foreign Minister Murray McCully today announced New Zealand will provide a further $750,000 to the relief and recovery effort following severe flooding in Fiji. Read more »

Press Release – femLINKPACIFIC

As part of our Women’s Weather Watch series, Alisi Matai, a member of our Generation Next project for Young Women Producers and Broadcasters visited the Bouma Squatters Settlement, 2 kilometres outside of Labasa town. Read more »

A man swims down a street with floating furniture in the tourist town of Nadi in the latest flash floods. Photo: Ashneel Narayan

Pacific Scoop:
Commentary – By Graham Davis in Nadi

The heartbreaking devastation of the latest floods in Fiji masks a deeper concern – that human activity may be making the situation a lot worse.

As the western tourist town of Nadi was submerged for the second time this year, some difficult questions are being asked about whether developments both upstream and downstream have made the location more flood prone.

Some locals even wonder whether the town – the third largest population centre in Fiji – should be relocated. Three separate events in three years that have destroyed or severely damaged homes and businesses are being regarded as no coincidence. Read more »

Flash flood images on state-run Fiji Broadcasting TV news. Photo: David Robie/PMC

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Felix Chaudhary and FemLINKPacific

As the number of people at evacuation centres in Fiji continues to swell, health authorities in the Pacific country’s Western Division have again warned overcrowding and unsanitary practices could lead to an outbreak of communicable diseases – or even a health crisis.

Divisional Health Inspector Dip Chand said medical teams had been deployed with district officers around the division to inspect and assess the situation at evacuation centres.

His warning came as islanders on Ono-i-Lau and Kadavu prepared for tropical cyclone Daphne. Read more »

Press Release – Air New Zealand

Media release 2 April 2012 Fiji Update Air New Zealand has cancelled tomorrow morning’s scheduled A320 service Auckland – Nadi – Auckland (NZ752/NZ753) which was due to depart at 7:45am and will replace it with a larger Boeing 777-300 aircraft, more … Read more »

Press Release – New Zealand Government

Hon Murray McCully Minister of Foreign Affairs 3 April 2012 Media Statement NZ to Assist Fiji Flood Victims Foreign Minister Murray McCully has announced that New Zealand will make $500,000 immediately available to agencies assisting flood victims … Read more »

Press Release – Salvation Army

The Salvation Army has launched an appeal to support flood-ravaged Fiji as the island nation braces itself for a tropical storm that is predicted to intensify to cyclone force. A state of natural disaster has been declared for most of Fiji’s Western … Read more »

Opinion – Rajend Naidu

All the money – every single cent of it – meant for the new constitution making enterprise should now be diverted to help the thousands of people whose homes and livelihoods have been destroyed by the latest devastating floods that have hit Fiji . (yahoo!7 … Read more »

Fiji's Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama with other government ministers, including Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, inspecting a damaged bridge and road at Navo in Nadi. Photo: Minfo

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By David Robie in Nadi

“Never a dull moment – we make waiting fun,” says a Vodafone billboard promoting its latest products in Fiji’s Nadi international airport. “Power to you.”

But for hundreds of tourists and Fiji Islanders waiting today to get on board five cancelled flights to Australia, New Zealand and beyond, there was little fun.

People told stories of anguish over ruined tropical holidays of a lifetime, ripoffs in adversity and frustration. Read more »