An emergency response project launched to help people become more resilient during natural disasters is set to benefit more than 1,000 families around Samoa.
A new warehouse containing equipment that can be used during natural disasters and supplies for distribution to families was officially opened at Malōlōlelei on Monday.
WE RISE is the US$1.5 million Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Expansion, Resilient Islands, Strengthened Environments (WE RISE), and is backed by USAID.
The project is also being launched in Fiji and Tonga and implemented by Catholic Relief Services in partnership with local organisations Caritas Samoa, Caritas Suva and Caritas Tonga.
Karen Anaya, head of the programme from Caritas Samoa, said the project will help them enhance their support to the Disaster Management Office – the primary agency for emergency response – by strategically prepositioning more resilient supplies across the country.