Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Honiara (Agenzia Fides) – Torrential rains and flooding have left heavy damages in the Solomon Islands. The government has declared a state of emergency and Caritas has responded with immediate emergency aid. This is the situation in the Pacific island chain, which has been suffering from flooding in recent days, leading to the death of at least 8 people in various villages on the islands, especially in the northwest, on the islands of Guadacanal and neighboring Savu.
8 people are reported dead and more, missing. There have also been damages to the infrastructure, making distribution of aid even more difficult. The flooding has destroyed houses and washed out roads, destroying many crops as well. Nearly 100 people have been evacuated from the most heavily hit areas and taken to the capital, Honiara. Over 1,800 families are in serious difficulty, in search of food in order to survive, and nearly 15,000 are still isolated and in need of urgent assistance.
A spokesman from the office of Natural Disaster Management said that 6 rescue teams have been sent in by motorboat to evaluate damages and organize aid distribution. The military mission of assistance in the Solomon Islands, lead by Australia, is taking part in the rescue effort and offering medical aid.
The local Caritas association was among the first to respond to the flooding, receiving generous support from Caritas Australia. “The immediate needs will be to ensure food and clean water are available to the most vulnerable, children, the elderly and women,” Caritas volunteers said.
Caritas Australia has announced that they are raising money for the flood victims in the Solomon Islands. In the past, especially in the tsunami of 2007, the Australia-based Catholic association has worked in service to its neighbors on the islands.
Since this past December, rains and flooding have struck the Fiji Islands, Papua New Guinea, Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands, forcing tens of thousands of people to abandon their homes. In January 2009, 19 people died and over 9,000 people were evacuated in Fiji, following the worst flooding the area has experienced in decades and that has greatly hurt the national economy in two of its major industries: tourism and sugarcane plantations. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 6/2/2009)
