Total number of people yet to get assisted after TC Winston yet to be confirmed

Some people who were badly affected by Tropical Cyclone Winston are still living in tents and struggling to get back on their feet.

Fijivillage is trying to get the latest figures on the total number of people assisted so far under the Help for Homes Initiative and those that are yet to get assistance.

In July, former Poverty Alleviation Minister Rosy Akbar had confirmed that more than 23,000 people had benefitted from the initiative.

She said that $88 million was used in the first phase to assist people in Koro, Taveuni, South of Vanua Levu, North of Viti Levu, Ovalau and Vanuabalavu.

Commissioner Western Manasa Tagicakibau has confirmed to Fijivillage that people in the Western Division are still facing a shortage of basic hardware items such as timber and roofing iron.

He has already informed people who are still not receiving constant supply of hardware to be patient.

Tagicakibau says the rebuilding process in the west is going well.

However he says that not everyone has received the Help For Homes Initiative cards and they are advising people to wait as they would like to see that the people that were issued the cards first get their materials before embarking on the second phase.

Acting Prime Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum confirmed last week that the Minister for Poverty Alleviation Mereseini Vuniwaqa will be going out with a team to identify areas that have not received the Help for Homes assistance cards yet.

Fijivillage also spoke to the District Advisory Councillor of Tokaimalo Village in Ra, Mosese Kakaramu who says many families are still without proper homes.

They include people living in Tokaimalo, Naiyaulevu, Raviravi, Naivutu, Nayawe and other upper villages of Ra, Ba and Nadarivatu.

Kakaramu says they have already asked for help but have been told to be patient.

Fijivillage also spoke to the Savatu District rep from Ba, Isikeli Toutou who says that they are informing the nine villages in Savatu to be patient.

Toutou confirms that only one out of the nine villages in his district has received the housing assistance.

He adds that they are continuing to plant their food and have made efforts to rebuild their own homes while waiting for the government assistance.

Toutou says he is going around the country to inform those from Savatu about their fundraising activity which will be held on the 29th of next month and the 1st of December.

Meanwhile the Roko Tui Koro Solomone Vubaya confirms that building materials are now slowly reaching the island.

Vubaya says they have been receiving their items from boats once a week but many people living on the island are still waiting for their orders.

He says some people in Koro are still recovering from the effects of the cyclone and still need food supplies.

We will have more on this as we receive more information from the Poverty Alleviation Ministry and DISMAC.