"Our partners on the ground in Papua New Guinea are currently conducting a rapid needs assessment in the affected villages to determine the most urgent priorities," Caritas Australia stated on its website on May 28.

"The recovery is expected to be long, and food, shelter, and clean water are amongst the most urgent needs for people who have lost their homes because of the landslide," the organisation said.

The landslide struck the Pacific island's Enga province in the early hours of May 24, leaving sleeping villagers barely any time to escape.

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Julie and her team have raised $102,000 with over $44,000 to food and $58,000 going to building materials. Donations continue to come in.

She said they had managed to raise money from former guests in their hotel to kind donors who had responded to their appeal on Facebook.

Julie said "The best part of the relief effort is to see so many people from different groups come together as one tribe.

"Initially my mom and I with a friend Seraina Brunett, all from Nakia Resort and Dive, raised over $100,000 from amazing people, mostly our friends, family, previous guests and even strangers for food rations, while donations are still coming in," she said.

"With the help of non-governmental organisations like Shelter Box, Loloma Foundation and countless others we have been able to begin restoration of affected homes in the South and North end of the island."

Kelly said the response from people willing to help on their Facebook page was just overwhelming.

Cyclone Winston was the strongest cyclone ever recorded in the southern hemisphere and the south coast of Taveuni Island, took a direct hit.

Winds were recorded at over 300 km/hr and an 18 metre tsunami-like storm surge ravaged the coastline and ripped away countless homes, community centres, schools and even resorts that were in its path.

Approximately 70% of all homes have been destroyed along this coastline with over 5000 people affected.

Source

• facebook.com
• fijitimes.com
• padi.com
• Image: facebook.com

The Red Cross in Papua New Guinea says drought-resistant crops and food supplies are desperately needed in the drought-affected Highlands.

The secretary general of the PNG Red Cross, Allison Dage, says an estimated three million people are suffering from food and water shortages caused by the worst drought in decades.

The national disaster management coordinator for the PNG Red Cross, Michael Sembenombo, says there are severe shortages of food and water.

But he says there is also a critical need to inform people about hygiene and sanitation issues to try and stop the spread of disease.

"People are eating kaukau that is being spoilt by the frost and also consuming water that is not safe."

Dickson Guina, chairman of the National Disaster Committee, told IPS that 2.4 million people across most of the nation's 22 provinces are confronting a critical lack of food and water.

There are also reports of many schools and hospitals forced to close as water shortages disrupt their operations.

"Our most urgent issue is water. We don't have a river close by which we can use, so we depend on rain for drinking. But there is only one water tank for every 10 households, which is not enough," Mangab Selau, a local Goroka resident said.

"We are now drinking well water, which is not safe for our children," another villager, Hilda Jerome, added.

Source

• radionz.co.nz
• asopa.typepad.com.
• radionz.co.nz
• Image: abc.net.au

Saipan is 218 kilometres from Guam, in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).

Catholic parishes, schools and organisations have been collecting non-perishable food items and funds to assist victims of Soudelor.

Water, rice and other canned goods are the most essential items, a release from the archdiocese said.

Saipan is a U.S. commonwealth with a population of 53,000.

Typhoon Soudelor hit Saipan with the intensity of a Category 2 hurricane on Sunday night 2 August, local time.

Winds were measured up to 105 mph as the storm hit. However, they may have been stronger than those reports according to an AccuWeather Meteorologist.

According to the Red Cross, nearly 500 people spent Monday night in several government shelters.

Residents were without water and electricity and were rationing gasoline four days after Soudelor.

President Obama declared the Northern Mariana Islands, including Saipan, under a State of Disaster last Thursday.

Source

• kuam.com
• mvariety.com
• accuweather.com
• abc7.com
• Image: facebook.com/SoudelorRecover

Mitchell is a humanitarian programme coordinator for Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand.

He has just returned from Vanuatu.

He arrived there just three days after Cyclone Pam hit.

Now, though dates had not yet been confirmed, he will soon be heading to another disaster zone - Nepal.

He expects to head over in a couple of months.

He was not going immediately because "we don't want to be sending people if it is not people that are needed."

"What is needed is money and support."

Caritas already has staff on the ground trying to get the country back on its feet.

For more than ten years Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand has worked with its counterpart in Nepal to support farmers, developing strong small farming and agribusiness cooperatives.

They are now using these long established relationships to reach some of the most marginalised communities in the country.

Caritas in Nepal is a well-respected partner of the Nepalese Government for humanitarian relief work and is negotiating to continue directly implementing its response to the earthquake.

"Our Caritas network is supporting the Caritas Nepal team as they prioritise emergency shelter, trauma counselling, food, clean water and the hygiene materials people desperately need," says Mitchell.

Source

• Stuff.co.nz
• Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand
• Image: Stuff.co.nz

Caritas responded rapidly to the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that happened on Saturday.

It was centered 10 miles below the surface, less than 50 miles from the capital of Kathmandu.

Assessments are coming in and Caritas teams in-country are organising the response.

Straight after the earthquake the airport was closed, so Caritas members made plans to send aid overland from India.

"Rescue is the first priority. Lots of people have lost their homes and are out on the street or in open spaces, so we will be looking to provide them with food and temporary shelter," said Caritas Nepal director, Fr. Pius Perumana S.J. in Kathmandu.

He said that there has been lots of physical damage, electricity has been down, making communications difficult and roads are blocked.

"Lots of houses have fallen down and there are lots with cracks. Thank God it was during the day and on a holiday, as many people were outside when the quake happened."

"Caritas has a very strong disaster response team who have been responding to other emergencies like the landslides that affected communities in Nepal in August 2014," says Anna Robertson, Programmes Coordinator for Nepal.

More than 3000 are already reported to have been killed by the quake and subsequent avalanches triggered in the Himalayas.

The death toll is expected to rise.

Donations to assist with the humanitarian response can be made by:

• Donating online using a credit card at www.caritas.org.nz
• Internet banking - account #03 0518 0211216 00
• Phoning 0800 22 10 22 to make credit card donations

Source

• Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand
• The Atlantic
• Image: Time.com

They say the cyclone, and subsequent aid, are a precursor to a major event that was foretold to take place next year.

The island of Tanna in Vanuatu is known for its peculiar set of new religious movements, including what are popularly known as cargo cults.

Cargo cult followers believe an adherence to American military protocols will bring back goods, equipment and a bountiful lifestyle that was in abundance during World War II.

Followers of the John Frum movement worship the man who promised a life of prosperity during the American military's presence on the island during the second world war.

They routinely raise a flag in the village and march with makeshift wooden rifles over their shoulders like the long-gone soldiers used to.

Tearfund worker, Andrew Finlay, came to Tanna in the wake of Cyclone Pam.

He says while the beliefs were hard for the western world to understand, their importance to the community should not be undervalued.

Source

• Stuff.co.nz
• Image: i0.wp.com/militaryhistorynow.com

Mitchell is the Humanitarian Programmes Coordinator for Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand.

"Despite all they have gone through they are simply getting on with the business of rebuilding their homes and livelihoods."

Mitchell has been in Vanuatu, as part of emergency relief efforts to get food and shelter to those most in need.

He has seen the devastation caused by Cyclone Pam firsthand.

After a short break with his family in Wellington at Easter, he will be returning to Vanuatu to continue his work.

Mitchell said that coordination of the response was going well.

The Caritas team are distributing 2,500 tarpaulins.

These tarpaulins provide temporary shelter for those worst affected by the cyclone while they begin the process of rebuilding.

Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand is appealing for donations to the Pacific Cyclone Relief fund.

The fund will be used to respond to immediate needs and help affected communities in Vanuatu rebuild their lives and livelihoods.

Read full press release

Source

• Supplied: Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand
• Image: Supplied Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand

The church's Tonga Service Centre Manager Howard Niu says they have signed with local contractor Oregon Pacific International to carry out the construction.

Mr Niu says the houses will be provided to members of the church.

He says the church will provide the core of a house.

"We're talking about a 4.8 metres by 3.6 metres to start with. The government and the World Bank donating the other half of it."

"Especially for the most vulnerable group, if you're 65 and above, and or whether handicapped or have more than eight in the family."

The money to support this project comes from the Latter-day Saints' humanitarian fund, to which Church members and others from around the world, including Tonga, donate.

The joint Church and Government humanitarian project will also focus on training locals on Ha'apai in building and other trade skills, as well as support families as they create and maintain family and community vegetable gardens.

Source

• Radio New Zealand International
• mormonnewsroon.org.nz
• Image: mormonnewsroom.org.nz