OCHA Situation Report No. 5
Fiji - Tropical Cyclone AMI
24 February 2003


FIJI APPEALED FOR INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE ON 23 JANUARY 2003
Event: 14 January 2003

This situation report is based on information provided by the Fiji
National Disaster Management Office (NDMO), through the OCHA Regional
Disaster Response Adviser for the Pacific.


The Disaster Impact

1. Tropical Cyclone AMI struck Northern and Eastern Divisions of Fiji on
Tuesday 14 January, causing an estimated USD 30 million worth of damage;
twice the loss inflicted by the last major cyclone, GAVIN in 1998.  It is
now 10 years since Cyclone KINA, which caused three times the damage.

2. The cyclone impacted most heavily on the eastern end of Vanua Levu in
Northern Division, comprising Macuata Province in the Northeast and
Cakaudrove Province, including the islands of Rabi, Taveuni, and Qamea in
the Southeast.  Coastal communities suffered from storm surge and inland
areas of Macuata and Labasa Town were severely flooded.  AMI then swept
across the Koro Sea, where it reached its peak intensity with winds of 150
km/hr close to its centre, heavy rain and high seas, damaging the small
far-flung islands of the Lau Group in Eastern Division.

3. Landslides blocked roads and the flooded rivers damaged bridges on the
large islands of Vanua Levu and Taveuni, severing the links between the
divisional headquarters in Labasa, other centres such as Savusavu, and
smaller outlying communities.  Communications were disrupted by damage to
radio relay stations and the telephone network, and it took over 2 weeks
to restore reliable communications across the whole area; a factor which
seriously hampered the assessment and relief effort.

4. Power in Labasa was cut for 7 days causing a breakdown in both the
water and sanitation systems in the town and across large areas beyond it,
leaving 30,000 people without a supply of safe water.  The systems also
sustained significant damage from flooding.

5. 2,662 houses were destroyed and 5,890 houses were damaged across both
divisions, with a total loss estimated at USD 6.7 million.  More than 100
primary and secondary schools sustained damage with 70 individual
classrooms and 51 teacher's quarters requiring complete replacement.  The
total damage in the education sector is estimated at USD 1.8 million, and
more than 20 schools were forced to start the academic year with many of
their students working under tarpaulins and other temporary shelters.

6. Agriculture was worst affected across Macuata and Cakaudrove Provinces;
and in Cicia, Kabara and Vanuavatu Islands in the Lau Group, which
suffered damage to root and green vegetable crops, fruit, livestock, and
faming buildings, equipment and other assets.  The large cane-growing area
in Macuata was extensively flooded, reducing the potential yield of the
next sugar crop.

7. The confirmed death toll is 15, with 2 people unaccounted for.


The Emergency Response Operation

8. The Government declared a state of emergency for the whole of Northern
and Eastern Divisions on the day of the disaster, 14 January 2003, and
under the provisions of the Natural Disaster Management Act, this state
remained in force for a period of 30 days.  During and immediately after
the impact of the cyclone, the population in the affected areas occupied
16 evacuation centres.  Relief operations were undertaken under the
overall direction of the Emergency Committee, a subset of the National
Disaster Management Council (NDMC), chaired by the National Disaster
Controller. Field-level activities were directed by the two Divisional
Commissioners and the relevant District Officers.

9. Assessment commenced on 15 January with the despatch by New Zealand of
an Orion aircraft to conduct aerial surveillance along the path of the
cyclone.  Early the following day a Republic of Fiji Military Forces
(RFMF) patrol boat with a medical team and relief supplies was despatched
to Cicia and Vanuavatu in the Lau Group, which were deemed the worst
affected islands.  Over the next two days another five vessels deployed
teams of officials from the divisional headquarters and line ministries to
the other islands of Lau and Lomaiviti, provinces of Eastern Division,
whilst officials from Northern Division and district headquarters also
commenced assessment by vehicle and boat around Macuata and Cakaudrove
Provinces. Further assessment was carried out on 17 January by helicopter
along the north coast of Vanua Levu and on the remote islands of Cikobia
and Mali.

10. Early response to the cyclone concentrated on the provision of safe
drinking water by truck to the population in and around the urban area of
Labasa Town, and by barge to isolated communities in Macuata.  The Fiji
Electricity Authority and the Ministry of Works immediately commenced
efforts to restore mains power, water, and sanitation to Labasa.  Teams
also began to clear essential road links and to repair critical bridges
and jetties.

 11. In the Lau Group 7,795 people have been supplied with food at a total
cost of USD 254,000.  The small islands of Avea, Cikobia-i-Lau, Tuvuca,
Cicia, Nayau, Vanuavatu, Oneata, Moce, Komo, Namuka, Kabara, Fuluga, Ogea,
Vatoa, and Ono-i-Lau, have all been supplied with 4 weeks rations, plus
planting materials such as a kumala (sweet potato, a fast-maturing root
crop).  The larger islands of Vanuabalavu and Lakeba were given a package
of one-off assistance, and Moala, Totoya, and Matuka as well as all the
islands in the Lomaiviti Group, which lay to the west of the cyclone's
path, were assessed as not requiring any assistance.

12. In Northern Division 63,697 people have been supplied with food at a
total cost of USD 446,000.  Isolated communities on the outlying islands
of Naqelelevu, Cikobia, Druadrua, Mali, Kia, Qamea and Yacata, and on the
coast at Udu, were given 4 weeks rations.  The less isolated communities
in eight other districts on Vanua Levu and Taveuni were given a one-week
ration, but arrangements are being made to deliver another 3 weeks'
supply. Twenty-five primary and secondary schools with a roll of 3,285
pupils were also given 4 weeks' supply.

13. A total of 71,492 people, or 45 per cent of the population of the two
Divisions, have received assistance, mainly food rations.  The Government
has emphasised that all assistance was provided impartially on the basis
of the assessed need alone, and not according to any ethnic or other
distinction.  In Macuatu Province, 69 per cent of the rations were
provided to Indo-Fijian communities, 30 per cent to indigenous Fijians,
and 1per cent to others whereas the population breakdown is 64.4 per cent
Indo-Fijian, 24.1 per cent indigenous Fijian, and 11.5 per cent from other
races.  Aside from food, the Government, Red Cross, NGOs, and donor
countries also supplied large numbers of tarpaulins, water containers, and
household items.

14. The main constraint to the relief operation was the difficulty in
accessing remote communities.  On the large islands of Vanua Levu and
Taveuni, mobility was restricted by the landslide and flood damage to
roads and bridges.  In the Lau Group the small size and isolation of the
island communities complicated and delayed both the assessment and relief
distribution.  In addition, stocks of certain essential relief items such
as tarpaulins and 25 litre water containers were soon exhausted and more
had to be flown in from overseas.  Finally, the lack of government-owned
vessels to transport supplies to the islands forced the NDMC to authorise
the hire of private vessels at commercial rates.


The Rehabilitation and Recovery Programme

15. The Government has adopted a multi-agency approach to its Cyclone AMI
Rehabilitation Programme, with the Ministries of Agriculture, Education,
Health, Regional Development, Works and the RFMF acting in coordination,
under the direction of the National Disaster Controller, who is the
Permanent Secretary for Regional Development.  During the course of the
programme this Ministry will undertake a mid-term review, and will also
present a final report to the Cabinet in 12 months' time.

16. The Ministry of Agriculture has commenced a programme to supply
planting materials, whilst rehabilitation of the cane-growing areas and
fixed assets is the responsibility of the Fiji Sugar Corporation.  The
communities of Labasa and Savusavu have come together to support the
rehabilitation of businesses in the urban areas.  Public Works has now
completed repairs to the majority of damaged roads, bridges, jetties,
mains water supply and sewerage systems, and the Fiji Electricity
Authority and Telecom Fiji Ltd. have restored power and communications to
most areas.

17. The Ministry of Education has commenced an extensive school
rehabilitation programme, supplying new teaching materials and equipment,
with repair and replacement of classrooms and teachers' quarters being
undertaken by the RFMF in Northern Division and the Ministry of Regional
Development in Eastern Division.  Regional Development is responsible for
the housing repair and reconstruction programme, and has estimated that
the cost of building 2,287 new 5 x 7 m cyclone-resistant houses in
Northern Division and 375 in Eastern, will cost USD 7.6 million.  The
repair of 5,300 damaged houses in Northern Division and 590 in Eastern,
will amount to USD 3.6 million.  Teams have just left Labasa and Suva to
verify the exact numbers of main dwellings destroyed or damaged.  Labour
and other operational costs amount to a further USD 2.5 million.  A total
of nearly USD 14 million therefore has to be found from the national
budget for capital development.


International Assistance

18. The Fiji Red Cross has shifted its emphasis from relief to planning
for recovery, which it expects to continue throughout 2003.  To support
the Fiji Red Cross in its efforts, the International Federation launched
an appeal on 22 January for CHF 820,000 (USD 603,000) to assist more than
30,000 people, focusing primarily on providing drinking water, non-food
relief items, shelter and reconstruction materials for community
facilities such as schools.  The appeal is currently 8 per cent funded
following donations from the Red Cross Societies of Japan (USD 27,600),
Korea (USD 14,700), and New Zealand (USD 5,460).  The Federation has
requested support from the European Commission Humanitarian Office - the
proposal is being examined and a decision is expected shortly.

19. Additions to the table summarising international assistance to date
Published in OCHA Situation Report No. 4 dated 31 January 2003., are as
follows:

   In addition to over USD 370,000 in relief assistance, Australia has
   donated USD 162,440 to the Fiji Red Cross to replenish its disaster
   preparedness stocks, and USD 119,290 to Save the Children Fund (SCF) to
   help children in affected areas return to school.  It is also looking
   at providing further rehabilitation assistance to the Ministries of
   Health and Education.

   France has delivered food relief, household water tanks and containers
   through the Government of French Polynesia on its vessel "Tahiti Niu".
   The total value of this assistance is USD 609,000.

   Greece has donated USD 80,560 through Fiji's Mission to the United
   Nations in New York.

   Italy is considering to donate USD 208,380 through OCHA for ongoing
   food relief to Eastern Division and the provision of 5,000 litre water
   tanks under the schools rehabilitation programme.

   Japan will donate USD 64,260 to the Fiji Red Cross for installation of
   water tanks in schools.

   New Zealand is considering supporting the SCF proposal, and has offered
   assistance for the provision of water tanks in Northern Division.  It
   will also transport relief goods donated by the Fijian expatriate
   community living in New Zealand.

   United Kingdom has donated USD 16,400 to the Red Cross appeal and has
   also contributed USD 17,100 to the SCF project to support
   schoolchildren.

   Taiwan has donated USD 10,150 for rehabilitation, through its
   Suva-based trade commission.

   UNFPA will reallocate existing project funds to meet needs identified
   by the Ministry of Health.

   WHO will provide an additional USD 5,000 worth of equipment and
   supplies for vector control.



Outstanding Issues

20. The Ministry of Health has reported that the health status of the
affected population is satisfactory, and at present there are no epidemic
outbreaks, although they are monitoring the situation closely and taking
steps to control vectors such as rats and mosquitoes.  The number of
leptospirosis cases admitted to hospital in Northern Division during
January was 40, and 7 patients remain in hospital today.  Other health
concerns include diarrhoea, dengue fever, and skin infections.

21. The NDMO confirms that there are still relief needs in Fiji's Northern
and Eastern Divisions.  The Government intends to continue supplying its
standard ration package to the worst affected communities for 3 months up
to mid-April, subject to monthly re-assessment of the situation.  Food
rations will also continue to be provided to schools at a monthly cost of
USD 49,000, since this will ease the financial burden on both schools and
parents, and ensure that there are fewer drop-outs.  The cost of the
rations and the hire of vessels and/or road transport to deliver them will
add to the USD 700,000 already spent by the Government on its emergency
food relief programme to date.

22. International assistance is also needed to support the Government's
programme of rehabilitation and recovery from the cyclone.  The most
urgent recovery needs are in the water and sanitation sector, and the NDMO
is particularly concerned about restoring a safe and sufficient water
supply in all schools. The Government is planning to provide a significant
number of fibreglass 5,000 litre water tanks to all schools in the
affected areas at a cost of FJD 916 per tank including the concrete base,
pipes and other fittings.  The NDMO is looking for funding for both the
materials and the logistic costs of delivering and installing the systems,
which are critical for the recovery of the affected communities and also
for the mitigation of future hazards, including drought.

23. The Government has accepted that some elements of its response to
Cyclone AMI could have been better.  It is planning to review the
preparedness, response, and recovery phases of the emergency at a later
date.  It has already identified that communications between Central
Government in Suva and the Northern and Eastern Divisions are vulnerable
and need to be strengthened, possibly through the supply of alternative
means of communication such as satellite telephones to key divisional and
district headquarters.  Also of concern to Government was people's failure
to heed the cyclone warnings, which suggests that more public education
and awareness is needed.

24. The NDMO is considering pre-positioning stocks of relief supplies at
strategic locations and the potential costs and benefits of the government
owning an aircraft, since there is only one helicopter available for hire
in the country.  The NDMO has also suggested that key individuals in
isolated communities need basic training so that they can conduct initial
damage assessment themselves, and that it needs improved facilities,
office and telecommunications equipment in the National Emergency
Operations Centre (NEOC), and in divisional EOCs.  A national contingency
fund would also increase flexibility and accelerate the response in the
crucial first few days of an emergency.


General Information

25. OCHA is prepared to serve as a channel for cash contributions to be
used for immediate relief assistance, in coordination/consultation with
relevant organizations in the United Nations system. For banking details
please contact the Desk Officers indicated below.  OCHA provides donors
with written confirmation and pertinent details concerning the utilization
of the funds contributed.  For coordination purposes, donors are requested
to inform OCHA Geneva, as indicated below, on relief
missions/pledges/contributions and their corresponding values by item.

26. The OCHA Regional Disaster Response Adviser remains in contact with
the NDMO and other key actors but, unless there are unforeseen
developments, this is the final situation report on this disaster.

27. This situation report, together with information on other ongoing
emergencies, is also available on the OCHA Internet Website at
http://www.reliefweb.int

Telephone: +41-22-917 12 34
Fax: +41-22-917 00 23
E-mail: ochagva@un.org

In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10

Mr. R. Muüller / Mr. S. Nakajima
Direct Tel. +41-22-917 31 31 / 40 34

Press contact:
  (GVA)  Ms Madeleine Moulin Acevedo, direct Tel. +41-22-917 3160
  (NYC)  Ms. Stephanie Bunker, direct Tel. +1-212-963 87 40


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