Six months after the tsunami in Temotu Province of Solomon Islands, World Vision has effectively assisted thousands of families through a US$ 810,449 response.
Through close partnership and funding received from Department for International Development, the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid Department, World Vision United Kingdom, New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, World Vision New Zealand, AusAID, World Vision Australia, World Vision Germany, the Taiwan Embassy, World Vision Taiwan, ANZ Bank, Point Cruz Yacht Club, Solomon Islands Teachers Association and Solomon Islands National Provident Fund, World Vision has worked closely together with government, other Non-government Organisations and communities to assist the tsunami survivors in Temotu, Solomon Islands get their lives back on track.
Following the 8.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami on February 6th 2013, World Vision conducted immediate relief response activities in Santa Cruz Island of Temotu given it had staff already based in the area working on other long-term development projects. World Vision took the lead in distributing food and Non Food Items (NFI’s) to more than 6,000 beneficiaries spread across 1,598 households in 85 communities in close cooperation with the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO). The impact of this work has been significant, with World Vision promptly and effectively distributing food and NFI’s to approximately 57% of the total population of Santa Cruz Island.
Currently World Vision is implementing longer term tsunami recovery projects in the areas of provision of Early Childhood Education child friendly spaces, providing water supply, sanitation and hygiene, establishing women friendly spaces, providing nutrition support, and establishing a emergency radio station which is also having a real impact on the communities affected.
World Vision has partnered with the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation and other agencies on the Temotu Emergency Radio Project to address the lack of access to information particularly during times of disaster. Disseminating educational information to affected communities during the tsunami response has been identified as a priority and radio is an ideal way to reach a population with high illiteracy rates and limited accessibility to communities by road.
Radios are being distributed to communities and broadcasts have started which include messages on sanitation, hygiene, nutrition and protection. The project is funded by New Zealand Aid and will benefit 12,000 people.
“We are very happy with the quick immediate response World Vision and other partners completed in close partnership, to ensure effected communities received the basics of food, water, shelter and household items as quickly as possible. Since that initial response period, we have been working on longer term recovery projects to help the communities more fully re-build their lives. There is some good progress over the last 6 months but it will still take longer for projects like rebuilding water supply, sanitation systems and schools to be completed, to enable communities to get their lives back to normal”, says World Vision’s Country Director, Dr. Andrew Catford.
World Vision’s tsunami response will continue over the next 18 months in close partnership with key stakeholders until all assigned projects are completed. Efforts will focus on ensuring targeted communities effectively benefit from these projects, so that children, families and communities can get their lives back to normal as soon as possible.
Source: Press Release, World Vision, Solomon Islands