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Solomon Islanders are still coming to grips with the loss and devastation caused by a massive earthquake and tsunami in April. Oxfam is there, helping communities rebuild their lives.
A young woman washes clothes next to a destroyed house in Gizo, Solomon Islands, following the earthquake-triggered tsunami. Photo: AFP PHOTO/William WEST.
When an 8.1 magnitude earthquake followed by a mammoth tsunami containing waves of 2–10 metres struck parts of the western Solomon Islands in April, residents fled to the hills.
There they remain, crammed into spontaneously-set-up camps, too scared to return home for fear of another earthquake or more killer waves.
“We are frightened of returning to our village, in case another earthquake or tsunami comes,” say Michael and Mishak, from the beachside village of Sageraghi, located on the extreme north-west end of Gizo. “We do not plan to return at all.”
More than 50 people were killed during the disaster and dozens remain missing. The Solomon Islands government believes up to 50,000 people may have been affected in Western and Choiseul Provinces.
More than 2,500 homes, two major hospitals, at least 50 schools and numerous local health centres have been badly damaged or destroyed, as well as the main Gizo water and sewerage system.
With water supplies interrupted, sanitation systems wiped out and the likelihood of an increase in mosquito breeding sites, disease is a growing concern. Fishing has been disrupted and local gardens swamped by sea water, prompting fears of food shortages in the months to come.
Oxfam Australia is leading the Oxfam International response, working in temporary camps located in Gizo town and surrounding areas.
We aim to support about 3,500 people by supplying clean drinking water, providing water tanks, building latrines and hand-washing facilities, promoting safe hygiene practices, providing emergency shelter and training 26 health promoters.
To help those left homeless, we have provided tents and tarpaulins to the worst-hit families, initiated shelter and construction meetings with provincial authorities, and designed a transitional family shelter incorporating earthquake-resistant features. We are now working with the provincial government on immediate and long-term housing needs for affected communities.
On a wider level we are providing water and sanitation specialists, tools and equipment to help restore Gizo’s water system and extend it to nearby camps. We are also assisting with repairs to the sewerage system at Gizo hospital and will be supporting affected communities to re-establish their livelihoods.
As for Michael and Mishak, whose village now lies completely deserted, they are already looking to the future. Although many homes in the village remain unscathed, its 250 residents are all living under tarpaulins at a camp high in the hills.
“Our house hasn’t been damaged, but we do not plan to return to our village,” they said. “We plan to construct a new village with our fellow villagers on higher ground.”
“We know this will be a lot of work and will take a lot of time, but we would prefer to do this than to come back to our village as it’s so close to the ocean. We are too frightened to return.”
Story based on reports and information gathered by Oxfam Australia’s John Kelleher, Rex Tara and Charlie Damon.