Solomons: Many in still in shelters 18 months after tsunami

Friday, September 26th, 2014

More than 18 months after a tsunami caused widespread destruction in the remote Solomon Islands’ Temotu province, more than a hundred families are believed to still be living in temporary shelters.

After the disaster struck, almost every affected family was left having to build a shelter for themselves.

A permanent housing strategy has been developed but it’s yet to get Cabinet approval.

Temotu Premier Fr. Charles Brown Beu has expressed his gratitude to Red Cross, World Vision, UNDP, Oxfam, Live and Learn and all other organisations that have assisted.

“We just don’t have the manpower or experience to completely manage everything on our own right now,” he said.

Patterson Fakavai, the Director of the Solomons’ Architecture and Building Division says the communities have generally shown great resilience but many still don’t have a place to call home.

To assist with recovery and on-going disaster risk management, UNDP has provided the Temotu Provincial Disaster Council with extra support through its Pacific Risk Resilience Programme (PRRP).

A spokesperson from the UNDP in Solomon Islands says a lack of expertise within the National Disaster Management Office, the NDMO, has delayed the recovery for tsunami victims in Temotu province.

Source