The shock and trauma suffered by flood victims is unveiling as CFL team continues tour of worst flooded affected areas in Ba.
We join our News Director Vijay Narayan who is leading a team in Ba and reports that assistance is now coming after the plight of some of these families is coming to light.
People do not know where their next meal will come from, they do not know whether they will or how they will send their children to school come Monday and they do not even have clean water to wash their clothes and dishes.
Our news director came across a mother and her children washing their clothes and utensils in a muddy creek while visiting the interior of Ba. He spoke to Faimun Nisha.
DISMAC Defends Assistance Efforts
DISMAC has defended its relief efforts in the flood affected areas in the Western division, despite the plight of some residents in the worst affected areas who have no food, no water and no home to return to.
Reports continue to surface from the devastated areas in the interior of Nadi and Ba where flood affected victims have told our reporters on the ground that they have not received any assistance what so ever and they have not been visited by DISMAC or the Red Cross.
Our News Director Vijay Narayan has visited several areas in Nadi where it has been witnessed how some flood victims are now surviving with no or very little food, their lean to or corrugated iron homes looking like a pig sty, all their plantations destroyed and that our team was the first to set foot in the area since the floods.
However, DISMAC Deputy Director Patilia Dobui said they have evidence to show that those severely affected have been assisted by their teams.
According to Dobui some people are fabricating stories to try and receive assistance.
However, it has been highlighted that the worst affected families need continued assistance to get by daily as some rations provided by individuals only last one or two days.
One family alone in the Ba area, consisting of four children are left with no food and estimate that they would need atleast $12 a day to be able to send their children to school.
The Interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama also told Fijivillage news earlier that said the situation in the West is very devastating and people need continued assistance.
No Hope To Send Children To School-Farmer
School fees and basic needs are very hard to meet at this point in time.
These are the words of Sigatoka farmer and Naduri Village Headman, Sakiusa Naisaroi who said they were banking on their crops to fund their children's school needs.
Naisaroi said all the crops that they had earmarked to meet their children's school fees have been wiped out adding it will be difficult to find money in such a short time.
He adds this time of year they're selling their produce at the market, instead they're clearing the debris and starting all over again.
Sixty nine year old Permal Naicker of Barara, Sigatoka said almost 25 acres of assorted vegetables and pawpaw were swept away by raging waters adding only bare soil is left where once it was assorted vegetables.
Such is the devastation by the floods that according to DISMAC, it would take $26.3 million to get the Agriculture Industry back on its feet.
DISMAC have also estimated that $54.92 million will be needed for Fiji to recover from this flood ordeal.
Over $45,000 Raised So Far
The Get The Children Back To School Appeal led by the Communications Fiji Limited radio stations, Legend FM, its sister stations Navtarang, Sargam, FM96, Viti FM and our website fijivillage.com has raised over $45,000 since it started two days ago.
All the cash donations collected for the children will be handed over to Save the Children Fund to assist the children with their school fees and daily bus fare and lunch.
CFL Appeal Team Continues Tour
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