1. Cyclone Winston ripped through Fiji on 20 February, 2016.
Caritas and Fiji
Cyclone Winston ripped through Fiji on 20 February, 2016.
An aerial view of damage caused by Cyclone Winston on the island of South Taveuni.

2. On some islands, 100 per cent of the buildings were flattened.
There were more than 40 fatalities, and thousands of people lost their homes and crops.
On some islands, 100 per cent of the buildings were flattened.
There is very little left of the home of Paulina (oldest child) and her family.

3. Fiji had never experienced a cyclone of this maganitude before.
Local leaders reported that for days after the cyclone, people were walking around shocked and dazed.
Fiji had never experienced a cyclone of this maganitude before.

4. Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand worked with the Commision for Justice and Development (CJD) and volunteers from the Diocese of Suva to organise an emergency response.

5. Emergency food, hygiene kits and tarpaulins for shelter were distributed in various parts of Fiji.
Some places were so remote that horse-back was the best way to get there.

6. Dave, one of the CJD volunteers, reported that some of the communities that they took relief supplies to hadn’t seen anyone from outside their village since the cyclone occured.
Many people just wanted to talk and share what had happened to them.

7. Sr Mariana Tevurega is also a member of the CJD
Sr Mariana Tevurega is also a member of the CJD. She has been running a programme to train people in trauma counselling skills. Those she trains are helping people affected by Cyclone Winston to tell their stories and to begin to heal emotionally.

8. Iosefo Nainima is another member of the CJD.
His role is to co-ordinate the response of the Diocese of Suva to those affected by Cyclone Winston.
Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand continues to provide funding to support the work of the CJD, particularly in the areas of distribution of supplies and counselling support.

9. Shelter kits have been distributed to many villages around Fiji.
The kits include two tarpaulins, ropes, nails, a shovel, a blanket, tin snips and a saw.
The kits help families to build temporary shelters until they are able to rebuild their homes properly.

10. These kits are packed up and distributed from the CJD office

11. Kitchen kits are also packed up at the office, ready for distribution.

12. Please continue to pray for the communities in Fiji that lost so much in Cyclone Winston.

13. Also think of the school students in Fiji, many of whom have had their studies interrupted by the Cyclone, and are back learning in temporary classrooms like this one.

14. Cyclone Winston wrecked havoc in less than a day, but locals know that the clean-up and rebuild will take years.

15. Thank you to all those who have supported the relief effort in Fiji.