On December 17, Tropical Cyclone Evan blew through the Pacific and left destruction in its wake. The hardest hit countries were Samoa, Wallis, Futuna, and Fiji. Rotarians in those areas have been working with local clubs to provide much-needed disaster relief.
Assistant Rotary Coordinator Warwick Pleass reported that 30 Rotarians recently traveled from the Suva Rotary Clubs to the most damaged areas in Viti Levu, the main island of Fiji. The team included the Acting Australian High Commissioners and Rotarians for Australia and New Zealand with other senior Fiji Rotarians. There they met with the teams from Nadi and Lautoka Rotary Clubs to distribute food, emergency response kits to families that have lost their belongings; the team also delivered ShelterBoxes to those that had lost their homes. Rotarians also focused on gathering information about what supplies and aid is needed to send back Rotary clubs on mainland Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia.
Rotarians who want to help should reach out to RC Rob Crabtree (Zone 7B & part 8, calpr@xtra.co.nz). If clubs or districts in your area want to participate in a larger disaster recovery project, check out the disaster recovery resources available on the Rotary website.
Donations for this and other South Pacific responses can be made through the secure link at http://www.rnzwcs.org.
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