Page 20 - IB April 2018

Disaster

age assessment which indicated that most
damage was recorded on Tuvana-i-Cake
and Tuvana-i-Ra, two unihabited islands
near Ono-i-Lau.
For Tuvana-i-Cake Island, damage to
cash crop including coconuts totalled
$52,800 Tuvana-i-Ra $40,800 and Ono-
i-Lau $157,750.
Senior agriculture officer Nimilote
Waqabaca said the two islands, three
hours boat ride away, though uninhabited
had fertile land and whatever was planted
on them especially coconut earned income
for the people of Ono-i-Lau. Waqabaca
said the villagers planted coconuts on
13.05 hectares in the two islands and
these were sold to middlemen from vari-
ous parts of the country as copra.
For Doi Village ,the agriculture and
livestock damage bill was estimated at
$7,730.
Mataika Pasi in front of a damaged home in Ono-i-Lau. Photo: Nanise Volau
On Matokana Village, agriculture offi-
cials recorded coconuts as the most dam-
Terrifying by TC Gita to their home and plantation. damaged commodity totalling $6925, and
aged crop with a market value of $2988.
At Nukuni, bananas were the most
Doi village headman Mataika Pasi said it
was a very dangerous situation for about
on Lovoni Village yams were the most af-
12 hours with roofing iron flying around,
TC Gita large trees blown down and food crops fected and damage was valued at $6,317.
Vatoa Island, which is the neighbour-
uprooted.
ing island to Ono-i-Lau, was also in the
Pasi said one house was destroyed
and six partly destroyed and their farms path of STC Gita but it suffered no serious
suffered the full brunt of the category 4 damage.
cyclone.
The island’s elderly people agreed that Relief Supplies
TC Gita was the worst storm they had The Fiji Red Cross Society aided 93
experienced and everyone was happy to households during their Tropical Cyclone
be alive today. Gita relief operation in the region.
By Nanise Volau When a government team arrived on It donated relief assistance worth
the island in February, most families $37,905 to 396 people in the islands of
FEBRUARY 12, 2018 will undoubtedly re- have returned to their homes and started Ono-i-Lau and Vatoa.
calls a frightening and dangerous day for rebuilding. Schools have opened and Disaster officer Itu Josaia said the scale
the people of Ono-i-Lau in Fiji’s southern classes resumed for Onolevu District and of the disaster was now clear as they have
Lau Islands. Doi District. conducted an assessment at villages in
The damaging winds of Cyclone Gita At Motokana Village, three houses were Ono-i-Lau and Vatoa.
battered through Ono-i-Lau and Vatoa, completely destroyed. Plantation were also “There was not much damage on the
leaving 12 families homeless and 30 destroyed ground as the people of south ern Lau
families with partially damaged houses. Village headman Noa Sukanasu, la- had prepared for the cyclone,” Josaia said.
All four villages on Ono-i-Lau-Nukuni, belled the Category 4 as a “terrifying Items that were donated included tar-
Lovoni, Matokana and Doi-started ex- experience.” paulins, dignity kits, kitchen sets, hygiene
periencing heavy rain accompanied by The 68-year-old said TC Gita was the sets, jerry cans for storing safe drinking
destructive wind and stormy seas on strongest hurricane he’d ever survived water, blankets and clothes packs.
that February morning. The cyclone had The villagers lost all their food and water Like the Fiji government’s Help for
wreaked havoc in the island kingdom of became their major problem. Home initiative, the Fiji Red Cross Society
Tonga thee day before, with winds hit- No damage was reported on Vatoa, Ogea donated shelter tool kits to families whose
ting 230km per hour, uprooting trees and and Vulaga. homes were destroyed.
destroying buildings. The shelter tool kits contain necessities
Sereima Valeciri, 64, helplessly watched Cost on Agriculture such as nails, hammer and other build-
their home blown to the ground. She said The island of Ono-i-Lau was esimated ing tools.
they were lucky to escape any injuries or to have got landed with an agricultural Four houses were completely damaged
casualties. damage bill of US$251,361. while 14 houses were partially damaged
Her husband, on the other hand, was Ministry of Agriculture officials who on Ono-i-Lau
still trying to accept the devastation caused visited the island conducted an initial dam- r nvolau@gmail.com

20 Islands Business, April 2018