Latest Update: RCL Chairman’s Daily Situation Report - 24 March 2010

[Stacey King]

Bauro Vaunalailai, Chairman Rabi Council of Leaders, 24 March 2010

ANOTHER EMERGENCY AID SHIPMENT PLANNED FOR FRIDAY 26 MARCH LEAVING SUVA
The Chairman has advised this morning that they have arranged an Aid Shipment to be dispatch from Suva this Friday aboard the ‘Silivan’ bound for Savusavu. They are hoping the shipment will land on Rabi over this weekend for distribution.

Please have ALL DONATED AID to Banaba House by Thursday at the latest for dispatch. Check with the RABI DISMAC Office: 330 8760 for more details.

The Chairman advised that this was Emergency Food Aid only to alleviate the immediate food shortage and crises on the Island. He will be addressing the long term planning required to ensure that more aid and supplies are forthcoming over the coming critical months ahead.

We would like to encourage all overseas contributors to please formulate aid and supplies parcels and shipments to be sent to:
Rabi Council of Leaders,
RABI DISMAC OFFICE
Banaba House,
Pratt Street
Suva, Fiji Isles.

If fundraising through charitable organisations please allocate enough funding to pay for shipping to Suva and where ever possible try and provide some additional funding for customs clearances, inter-shipping, and warehouse storage fees etc. These internal shipping and handling fees can be very expensive and any assistance that we can provide RCL in this regard will free up money to purchase food and provisions that are needed now on the island.

FIJI GOVERNMENT AID SHIPMENT
The Fiji government has promised two weeks of emergency aid rations for Rabi that should be dispatched today (Tuesday 24 March).

KIRIBATI GOVT AID DONATION
The Kiribati government has donated FJD$1,000 towards aid efforts.

TFL HANDI PHONES NOW OPERATING INTO TABIANG VILLAGE****
This morning we have been advised that the wireless hand phones will pick up around Tabiang village on the south of the Island. Ken Sigrah has also confirmed this, but coverage is still limited to just Tabiang at this stage.

**** Ioio has just advised that Buakonikai village now has phone contact****

ROAD BETWEEN TABWEWA TO TABIANG NOW CLEARED AND BUS OPERATING
Biniati Sigrah confirmed today that the village work gangs had now cleared fallen trees and debris from the main road between Tabwewa and Tabiang village and the school bus was able to get to the High School. He was not sure how long it would take to get the road to Buakonikai fully operational again.

VILLAGES DAMAGE ASSESSMENT REPORTS NOW AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD
The four Rabi Villages have now provided an Assessment report which is now available for download at: http://banabanvoice.ning.com/page/cyclone-tomas
The Chairman has advised that these documents have not been altered in any way and have been recorded by each of the villages assessment teams. All photos that are accompanying these reports have now been uploaded to:
http://banabanvoice.ning.com/photo/albums/cyclone-tomas-rabi-photos

[Flory]

Yeah...I managed to get assitance from the engineers here in Ganilau and they have also tested and confirmed that Tabiang and Buakonikai are able to recieve calls thru the tfl phones as they are feeding from Taveunias for the rest of the Island they are feeding from Karoko which is still down so untill Karoko tower is repaired then we will be able to get in contact with Nuku....but then thanks to Stacey and Ken for the great help....have a blessed day.

[Ioio]

Actually i just spoke to my sister in Nukundrati. So Buakonikai is back.