Fiji

The number of completely destroyed homes around the country is 7,043.

The number of partly damaged homes is 11,111.

Launching the appeal today, Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said the needs taken to the community of nations reflected the priorities of the Fijian Government.

“We are stronger than Winston. We will recover. And we will rebuild. And we will do so with our many friends in the community of nations with whom we stand so proudly, and especially at this time.

 PM Bainimarama said they looked forward to the generosity of UN member states.

“Even in these dark times, we can all take comfort from one shining truth. That we are a caring nation.

There are currently 925 evacuation centers in the four divisions.

The number of people living in these centers stands at 55,439.

Transcript

LEIGH SALES, PRESENTER: A group seasonal workers from Fiji and Tonga came to Australia with the promise of earning good money to send home to their families. But that's not how things have worked out.

Since they arrived last month under the official program, the fruit and vegetable pickers have been shocked and disappointed. Some of them earn just a few dollars a day after deductions.

Bainimarama says their priority remains to provide basic necessities and restore essential services within these thirty-days and then they will decide on the next step from there on.

And the Government has pleaded for immediate assistance from the 193 member countries of the UN and its organisations, as it says it cannot handle the situation alone.

In his urgent call for assistance, Fiji's permanent representative to the UN in New York, Peter Thomson, told the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) that Fiji faced a national crisis.

In a statement it listed hundreds of schools which had been assessed by the ministry of education as able to open on Monday after being closed for the past week as a result of Cyclone Winston.

But it said some schools sustained severe damage during the storm making them unsafe for teachers and students.

The ministry said it will provide regular updates on repair progress and said it is still exploring temporary solutions for students in the affected areas.

In addition to the donation, the NRL has pledged to continue to work with UNICEF and their rapid response network and is encouraging fans and communities to support the appeal and the people of Fiji as they start to rebuild.

Australian Rugby League Commission Chair John Grant said the Rugby League community has close ties with Fiji, with some of the game's finest and most popular players coming from Fiji.

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Havora presented the donation on behalf of Pacific Balanced Fund / Melanesian Trustee Services Ltd towards the cyclone victims.

She also presented a donation of K2,000 from the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant PNG to the Fiji Cyclone Appeal.

"We witnessed from afar the devastating effects that the cyclone left behind and we had nothing much to offer but our solidarity and prayers for our Melanesian brothers and sisters out there.