ReliefWeb

Highlights

·The response community – including the ETC – is operating from two Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) set up in Nabouwalu and Labasa in Vanua Levu, the island worst-hit by Cyclone Yasa.

·The ETC Coordinator for the Pacific has been on the ground in Vanua Levu since 19 December. The coordinator deployed from 26-27 December on assessment missions to eight sites across Vanua Levu to assess the impact of Cyclone Yasa on the coverage of mobile and data connectivity services.

·Alongside Fiji’s National Disaster Management Office (NDMO), the ETC is working with Fiji’s Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to establish connectivity needs and is ready to support with their recovery, if required.

Situation Overview

On 17 December, Category 5 super Cyclone Yasa barrelled into Fiji causing catastrophic damage and destruction. Most damage was caused on Fiji’s second-largest island of Vanua Levu. Multiple assessment teams continue to collect data in the cyclone-affected areas of Vanua Levu to establish damage and humanitarian needs. Critical infrastructure and essential services continue to be restored and humanitarian assistance has begun to arrive in cyclone-affected communities, although some hard-to-reach areas are still facing problems with access to water, power outages and connectivity. More than 3,000 people remain in evacuation centres, mainly in the Northern Division of Fiji.