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Efforts to provide children sheltered for classes in Fiji’s cyclone-devastated regions may be hampered by a looming shortage of tents and tarpaulins.
DISMAC operations officer Anthony Blake said that while Fiji expects to receive more tarpaulins and tents from Australia to help victims of Cyclone Tomas, there will not be enough tents for everyone.
“We are hoping to cater for schools but there is high demand for tents around the world due to the Haiti and Chilean disasters,” Blake said.
He said as a result, local solutions for those without shelter, was now being looked at.
DISMAC has received confirmation that at least 50 classrooms have been destroyed in the northern and eastern divisions.
Blake said they were in the process of tallying up the damage.
“This is so that tents can be arranged immediately for those schools that had suffered damage,” he said.
“We are working with UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) and the Ministry of Education to see what is damaged so that we can get these kids back to school as soon as possible.”
Blake said families who have lost their homes will be getting tarpaulins while temporary shelter is being sought with the military engineers as well as rural housing units so that a short term solution can be reached.
One million dollars worth of relief aid from Australia, including tarpaulins, was brought in by an Australian defence force aircraft on Wednesday.
The Hercules aircraft returned today while a New Zealand defence force aircraft that also brought in emergency relief supplies will return tomorrow.
“The New Zealand aircraft will be bound for their base tomorrow after having successfully delivered the relief supplies to Labasa,” Blake said.
