Rebuilding for the future has begun in Samoa following the Pacific Tsunami which struck the south coast of Upolu on September 29.
Devastating six-metre-high waves destroyed many coastal villages with reports estimating that 600 new homes are now needed to replace those lost in the disaster.
World Vision shelter expert Rafael Mattar, is working alongside partner agency Emergency Architects Association (EAA) and the affected communities to share lessons learned from shelter building exercises following previous tsunamis.
 Since the 2007 Pacific tsunami, architect and project manager Mattar has been successfully working with communities in the Solomon Islands to support the rebuilding of 4000 homes. Funding for this work was provided by World Vision New Zealand supporters in partnership with a NZAID recovery grant.
World Vision New Zealand’s Acting CEO, Les Stephenson said: “We are excited to be working with EAA and the Samoan community. By working alongside the locals, improved techniques can be passed on reducing the risks and damage in future disasters.
“Our role will be in providing expertise and sharing key learnings from our work in the Solomon Islands following the 2007 tsunami and the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004.”
While the community starts to think about the future, relief supplies are still in demand as health-workers continue to treat survivors.
With this in mind, World Vision New Zealand has also committed just over $21,000 to supply much-needed equipment requested by Samoa’s Ministry of Health.
This week, 400 New Zealand-funded solar lamps are being distributed to families still displaced in the hills.
A further 120 self-powered emergency radios, with built-in flashlights and mobile chargers have also been bought with donations to World Vision New Zealand for rural nurses and health workers, to ensure key health messages reach communities where communications have been disrupted.
“The response from New Zealanders to the relief effort in Samoa has been overwhelming and we are incredibly grateful for this,” said Stephenson.
“Our role has been to work with the Samoan Government to identify the greatest areas of need which cannot be fulfilled by or sourced from the community locally.
“The lamps and radios requested were not available in Samoa and will now make a significant difference to health workers as they continue to treat tsunami survivors.”
As well as assisting tsunami survivors in Samoa, World Vision New Zealand launched its first ever multi-disaster Asia-Pacific region-wide appeal to help all those affected by the catalogue of natural disasters which have hit the region in the last couple of months.
So far this appeal has raised a total of nearly $600,000 which will also be used to support those in need in the Philippines, Laos, Indonesia and India.
People who want to make a donation, may do so through World Vision New Zealand’s Asia-Pacific Emergency Relief Fund by going to https://www.worldvision.org.nz/Donations |
