Solomon Islands Disaster Relief

Hello everyone. A dear friend and a VERY good man is in the Solomon Islands (off the coast of New Zealand) and they are struggling badly.  They had flooding and rains that has destroyed much of the island.  Then to make matters worse they had 2 major earthquakes afterwards.  I feel helpless at times but I do what I can from a distance. I'm not pledging this for any reason other than I have a soft heart for people who are living in this conditions while I sit at home with my comfy heat with food and water abound
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If you would like to donate, I've always trusted the Red Cross.

http://www.redcross.org.au/solomon-islands-floods-2014.aspx


Solomon Islands floods 2014
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Thousands of people are being provided with food, water and other relief items like sleeping mats, and tools to fix homes in the Solomon Islands after devastating floods.

More than 20 people have lost their lives and thousands of people have been displaced due to the flooding.

Large parts of the capital Honiara were flooded, infrastructure damaged and more than 50,000 people have been affected after heavy rains fell on the islands in the first week of April. Hundreds of homes have been damaged or destroyed. The floods have left a trail of devastation.

Solomon Islands Red Cross was forced to evacuate from its offices. Staff and volunteers were operating from a hotel in Honiara though they are now back in their offices. Red Cross volunteers are working around the clock in the capital and regional areas to assist affected communities.
Australian Red Cross aid workers are supporting Solomon Islands Red Cross to meet the needs of communities affected by the floods.
 
Thousands of people, who were displaced from their homes, are being provided with relief items like blankets, sleeping mats and water containers. Clean water is being provided along with access to sanitation facilities and hygiene kits, aimed at preventing disease.

Aid workers are also assisting with emergency shelter and planning for the longer term response to support communities affected by the floods. Australian Red Cross is ready to provide additional assistance.
A portable water purification machine has been sent to provide thousands of litres of clean water to communities affected by the floods.
Australian Red Cross has a longstanding program with Solomon Islands Red Cross, working with communities to prepare for disasters as well as improving community health and supporting better access to safe water and sanitation.

Red Cross supports communities, particularly those most in need, to prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies such as this.
Making a donation to Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery supports the work that Red Cross Emergency Services do every day in Australia and wherever we are needed around the world.

YOU CAN ALSO DONATE TO THE NZ RED CROSS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS ARTICLE.


NZ beefs up aid to Solomon Islands
By Vaimoana Tapaleao, Sam Boyer, Matthew Backhouse, Isaac Davison
4:54 PM Monday Apr 14, 2014

Solomon Islands hit with another blow from nature, but residents take it in their stride.

An earthquake and a tsunami warning are the latest natural events to hit the island nation after last week's severe flooding. Photo / AP
New Zealand will send a portable bridge and two teams of doctors to Solomon Islands as part of its latest aid package for the flood-damaged region.

The new health and engineering support would increase New Zealand's aid contribution to the Solomons to $2.6 million.

More than 50,000 people have been affected by flooding in the region last week, which was followed by two major earthquakes.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully said New Zealand was deploying 10 health personnel to the Solomons tomorrow including doctors, nurses and support staff.
"The main hospital in Honiara is stretched after the recent flooding and there is a very serious risk of waterborne disease spreading around the capital,'' he said.
New Zealand would also ship a Bailey bridge to Honiara to maintain a link between the airport and the city centre.

"The Mataniko Bridge was damaged in the initial flooding and the Bailey bridge from the New Zealand Transport Agency will help ensure transport links are maintained while it is repaired,'' Mr McCully said.
At least 21 people have been killed by the flooding. No major damage was caused by the earthquakes.
For more on the recent natural disasters to hit the Solomons, go here.
Mr McCully said the Solomon Islands Government had asked for help to assist with the "exhausted resources they have within their health system to deal with people who are caught up, particularly in the evacuation centres".

Details were still being finalised, but Mr McCully said New Zealand was looking to send two teams of 10 staff.

The Solomons had also requested transport infrastructure aid, and New Zealand was considering whether to help with temporary truss bridges.
World Vision's humanitarian and emergencies manager in the Solomons, Dwain Hindriksen, said the agency had several New Zealanders in the area providing aid.

The earthquake had been widely felt, but did not appear to have caused significant damage.

"We were sitting down, having a meeting. There were a few tables shaking and struts in the roof were moving.

"But I haven't heard of any damage - which is good, considering what the population has gone through with the flooding."
World Vision's role would continue to be flood-related, he said.

"The water is starting to dry up, but the affects of the flooding is still there and will be for some time."

Yesterday's quake came just over a week after heavy rain led to flash floods in Honiara, when the Mataniko River burst its banks, destroying homes and killing up to 21 people. Many more are still missing.
Up to 50,000 people have been affected and the wiping out of sewerage systems has resulted in a rush from help agencies working to prevent disease.

Red Cross NZ communications manager Corinne Ambler was in the Solomons for a week. She arrived back in New Zealand a day before the earthquake struck.
Ms Ambler said the situation was overwhelming, but people remained resilient.
"I went up the river in Honiara and it's just devastating.
"Homes have been tossed around like matchsticks and everything is buried in mud - it's like that all up the river."
She said she had visited one home where a grandfather died with three of his grandchildren.

Many people were doing their best to help others, despite having lost everything themselves.

"Some of the volunteers who come and help every day have lost their own homes, yet they continue to volunteer.
"So much has happened there. But the Solomon Islands people, I found them to be really resilient and very warm. They're just getting on with things."

How to help
Save The Children: 0800 167 168 or www.savethechildren.org.nz
Unicef: 0800 243 575 or www.unicef.org.nz
Oxfam: 0800 600 700 or www.oxfam.org.nz
World Vision: 0800 800 776 or www.worldvision.org.nz
Red Cross: 0800 RED CROSS or www.redcross.org.nz

GG thank you for the article and agree the Red Cross is the best place to donate as they siphon the monies where most needed. Also like to point out the fire in Chile is also another hot spot at this time(No pun intended).

Bump