The total estimated monetary value of the damages that Tropical Cyclone Gita has cost Fiji is $1.27m.
This was revealed by the Minister for Agriculture, Rural and Maritime Development and National Disaster Management, Inia Seruiratu when asked by Government MP Howard Politini to give an update on what has the Ministry developed for Disaster Risk Management and Responses.
Seruiratu says that preliminary damage assessments indicate that damages have been minimal despite Tropical Cyclone Gita being a Category 4 event.
He says that the total estimated agricultural damage is $328,243, damages to the education sector cost $102,000, forestry at $50,000, total infrastructure damage cost is $243,228 and housing at $550,000.
Seruiratu says that the Prime Minister approved the use of $50,000 from the Prime Minister’s National Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation Fund to fund the procurement of the food rations of $37,500 and operational cost of $12,500.
The minister says that a total of 78 personnel were part of the initial TC Gita deployment and they consist of 44 government officials, 11 from the private sector, 15 humanitarian partners, 5 media personnel and 3 from the security personnel from the Fiji Police Force.
He says that the initial government emergency responses for Southern Lau focussed on providing one-month food rations, providing safe and clean drinking water and undertake initial damage assessments.
